BOLSTERING NATIVE ENCRYPTION WITH CENTRALISED KEY MANAGEMENT

Data security practices that disrupt workflow place an undue burden on users and administrators

With native encryption being factory installed on nearly all endpoints – like desktops, laptops and tablets – it has quickly become the default encryption solution for IT managers. Technologies like BitLocker and FileVault2 are a great start at improving data security. But to expose the full capability of the native encryption, enterprises truly require a comprehensive tool that can manage a broader set of technical and administrative requirements. And the solution must be simple and efficient for IT administrators and end users.

The growing complexity of security breaches

In today’s device-centric world, security is a huge preoccupation for IT managers. Securing desktops, laptops, tablets, smart phones, and an array of endless corporate endpoints are keeping IT teams in battle mode. Protecting devices-often running on different OS and using different encryptions-requires multiple layers of security and control. However, this has not deterred attackers. 2016 was a record year for data breaches, according to Bloomberg. In the US alone, the number of reported incidents increased by 40% from 2015.

Ironically, the more complex the threats become, the more seamless your end-users expect security to be. They want their devices to connect without multiple logins, switching on encryption or lengthy password resets. They ignore any procedures that get in their way. For IT managers, this means that they need to deliver frictionless device security: one that is transparent, intuitive, and always-on. In other words, they need one unique approach that solves everything encryption-a smart new key management solution that works with native encryption technologies.

Need to look beyond native encryption

Although enterprises spend a considerable amount of time installing and managing drive encryption solutions, it is important to ensure that these solutions are versatile, customisable and integration-friendly. By adding a third-party encryption solutionas a management tool, organizations can benefit from centralized key management. With centralised control, IT managers can manage everything from a single view, across Windows, Linux and Mac OS, BYOD and virtualized environments.

Having a centralized key management tool will help IT teams to deploy end-point devices in a compliant and secure state, facilitate true single sign-on and more user control, support integration with multi-factor authentication, and authenticate encrypted devices to the network before the operating system ever loads. By storing and managing all encryption keys with policies set from a single console, IT admins gain the centralised control they crave. Such administrative tools provide consistent support for corporate data security policies and minimize the need for manual oversight or time-consuming, hands-on procedures. Moreover, these tools assist in providing compliance support for PCI, HIPPA, EU GDPR, and other certifications, and in generating comprehensive audit trail reports for lost and stolen devices.

Cutting IT workloads, stress & cost

A consolidated and centralised approach to key management will significantly reduce the burden on IT admin teams and budgets. It is important that IT teams look for the following benefits in a key management solution:

** Simple deployment – Securely provisioning, transporting and deploying machines using temporary key files, with final ownership and key rights automatically transferred in a secure moment, event at authentication.

** Tamper-proof tech – Preventing native encryption solutions from being disabled, accidentally or intentionally.

** Easy auditing and reporting – Providing a centralized reporting and auditing tool for security and compliance. A solution that takes over and reinforces the device start-up process with Pre-boot Authentication will protect your organization from likelihood of having to declare a lost device. Data is always secured at rest, and you have an easy way to prove it.

** Productivity and cost focus – Simple password reset methods that help end users get up and running quickly.

It is paramount that organizations build a future-proof strategy to secure their data, devices, and networks. This would require IT teams to devise innovative data security solutions that manage everything encryption in a simple, seamless way. Having in place comprehensive key management tools comes as a boon for IT teams and users, who prefer a unified security solution that works in the background—transparently—and provides automated, non-disruptive protection of assets, and seamless authentication.

Rahul Kumar
Country Manager, WinMagic