Data encryption is one of the hottest topics in business news today. It seems that every day we hear of a lost or stolen laptop that puts private data at risk. These common occurrences, along with high profile incidents like the successful attack on the LinkedIn password file, should be a warning bell to business owners and managers.
The average cost of a data breach is estimated to be $5.5 million, according to an annual study conducted by the Ponemon Institute. But beyond the significant dollar costs, data breaches can also cause:
Data encryption can help to minimize the likelihood of an information breach, and should be considered a basic requirement for businesses of all sizes. Even if your data files fall into the wrong hands, data encryption can help to protect your most valuable business assets.
A 60-Second Primer on Data Encryption
The objective of data encryption is quite simple—make the data unreadable for everyone except those with authorization to access the information. But the implementation is complex. A mathematical algorithm is used to scramble the data so that only those who have a decryption key—usually an alphanumeric code—can unscramble the data. Encryption can be applied to data on storage media such as disk drives or USB drives, as well as email messages.
Why Aren't More Organizations Doing Encryption?
If data encryption is so critical, then why haven’t more organizations implemented it? To do it properly, you need the technical expertise and the ability to implement the technical solution in your organization. Hiring the staff with that unique expertise can be cost prohibitive for many companies.
There’s also the issue of where to start—deciding which data to encrypt. While all data in an organization should be under consideration for protection, business managers should attack the first line of defense: the fleet of desktops and laptops that are operated by end-users throughout an organization.
The Fast Track to Desktop Encryption for Your Data
Today, you can hire a firm to manage the data encryption on your desktop and laptop computers. Sometimes called encryption as a service or cloud encryption, this solution gives you these key benefits:
- Easy deployment—there’s little or no training required for your end-users
- No need for additional computer hardware
- No internal expertise is required
- Support and ongoing service is delivered by encryption experts
- Little or no capital expenditure required
- Monthly fees per device are predictable and easy to manage
Encryption as a service removes any remaining excuses that might prevent you from taking this critical first step in protecting your business desktops and laptops. Don’t procrastinate until it’s too late. Why wait until your company is a news headline for the wrong reasons? Move ahead to implement encryption for your data today.
For More Information on Data Encryption
Learn more about mindSHIFT’s desktop encryption services.
For more information on managed IT and cloud services, contact mindSHIFT or call 877-227-5054.