Wytech | Data Encryption
To celebrate our 5th birthday we are offering a 10% DISCOUNT! on your next (or first) quotation with us until 14 September 2009. Just contact us before this date and quote the phrase: "Happy Birthday Wytech!" and we will apply the reduction for you.
On top of this, our engineers are writing up 5 reviews, one each week, of the latest business IT products and services. Here's the fourth from our very own Wytech Engineers.
Review Four: Data Encryption
Encryption has become an increasingly popular topic in the contemporary world of both IT and business managers. Data is now our most valued commodity and encryption (the activity of converting data into secure code) is becoming an essential defence against security threats.
One of the main problems for business owners is that there are a multitude of options available on the market, and without specialist knowledge it’s almost impossible to know which solution to invest in. Get it wrong however and your data could be lost forever.
Hard drive encryption
The most common solution is ‘hard drive encryption’, which is mainly used on laptops, netbooks and other portable devices. This is because hard drive encryption provides a great deterrent to thieves, and mobile devices are the most vulnerable to loss and theft.
With hard drive encryption, the entire hard disk and all of its contents are encrypted. Only by entering the correct password when your computer boots up can the computer be started and data accessed as usual. Without the password, no one can access the data on that hard drive. This means that in the event of your laptop being stolen the thieves have no way to access your data.
The biggest disadvantage is that hard drive encryption only has two states: ‘all data locked’ or ‘all data readable’.
When data is readable, it is also vulnerable to attack. For this reason users may wish to consider additional security in the form of anti-virus software, firewalls or ‘file and folder’ encryption to work alongside hard drive encryption.
File and folder encryption
As the name implies, this solution encrypts files in specific ‘encrypted’ folders stored on the user’s hard disk, rather than encrypting the entire disk as described above. This means that files are always protected even when the user is logged in and working at the computer.
Users will often need to drag and drop their files into the correct folders in order to encrypt them. The downside of this method is the room for human error and the need for ongoing user training to make sure no mistakes are made.
Buyers must also be sure to check whether the many features promised on product data sheets actually match their requirements, and aren’t just gimmicks designed to hook the buyer or bombard them with technical terminology.
It is always worth contacting a company like Wytech for some friendly, free and impartial advice about these topics. After all, what really matters is the product's suitability for daily use.
Written by R. G. L. Birkbeck
On top of this, our engineers are writing up 5 reviews, one each week, of the latest business IT products and services. Here's the fourth from our very own Wytech Engineers.
Review Four: Data Encryption
Encryption has become an increasingly popular topic in the contemporary world of both IT and business managers. Data is now our most valued commodity and encryption (the activity of converting data into secure code) is becoming an essential defence against security threats.
One of the main problems for business owners is that there are a multitude of options available on the market, and without specialist knowledge it’s almost impossible to know which solution to invest in. Get it wrong however and your data could be lost forever.
Hard drive encryption
The most common solution is ‘hard drive encryption’, which is mainly used on laptops, netbooks and other portable devices. This is because hard drive encryption provides a great deterrent to thieves, and mobile devices are the most vulnerable to loss and theft.
With hard drive encryption, the entire hard disk and all of its contents are encrypted. Only by entering the correct password when your computer boots up can the computer be started and data accessed as usual. Without the password, no one can access the data on that hard drive. This means that in the event of your laptop being stolen the thieves have no way to access your data.
The biggest disadvantage is that hard drive encryption only has two states: ‘all data locked’ or ‘all data readable’.
When data is readable, it is also vulnerable to attack. For this reason users may wish to consider additional security in the form of anti-virus software, firewalls or ‘file and folder’ encryption to work alongside hard drive encryption.
File and folder encryption
As the name implies, this solution encrypts files in specific ‘encrypted’ folders stored on the user’s hard disk, rather than encrypting the entire disk as described above. This means that files are always protected even when the user is logged in and working at the computer.
Users will often need to drag and drop their files into the correct folders in order to encrypt them. The downside of this method is the room for human error and the need for ongoing user training to make sure no mistakes are made.
Buyers must also be sure to check whether the many features promised on product data sheets actually match their requirements, and aren’t just gimmicks designed to hook the buyer or bombard them with technical terminology.
It is always worth contacting a company like Wytech for some friendly, free and impartial advice about these topics. After all, what really matters is the product's suitability for daily use.
Written by R. G. L. Birkbeck
posted by Wytech Ltd at
10:33
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