Relying on encryption?

Why we’ve got to allow for the ‘human factor’ when it comes to data security.

Any business manager knows that you can't legislate for human error. If you employ human beings, mistakes will happen, and these mistakes sometimes involve confidential data.

Laptops are frequently stolen and criminals know it's not necessarily the computer that's valuable – it's often the data that brings in the money.

So how do you protect assets from carelessness or malicious intent? Encryption should be part of any layered approach to security. It works well; it's just a shame so few companies enforce its use.

Research conducted by The Ponemon Institute¹ found that 86 percent of IT security practitioners have dealt with lost or stolen laptops. In 56 percent of those cases, the loss resulted in a data breach. Also, 50 percent of business managers polled disengaged their laptop's encryption solution.

This is why most stolen laptops still contain unencrypted information, meaning businesses need safety nets, or technologies enabling them to remotely delete data from a stolen device.

For laptops stolen by opportunists in pubs, or on public transport, encryption protects data from prying but inexpert eyes – assuming the end user effectively engaged encryption in the first place. If the theft is targeted, the thieves sophisticated enough and the information desirable, then even well-implemented encryption can become shaky. To account for the 'human factor', managers need to be realistic and plan for when a laptop goes missing.

Accidents will happen and laptops get stolen. When they do, it's vital that companies have a strategy to remotely delete sensitive data, keeping it from falling into the wrong hands. Computer theft recovery services are also useful, allowing businesses to retrieve stolen devices, determine if sensitive files were accessed, and contain the potential for further exposure.

By anticipating the worst, businesses can mitigate the ill-effects of end-user negligence and arm themselves against data theft disaster.

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Footnote:
¹ 'The Human Factor in Laptop Encryption', Ponemon Institute, December 2008