Data breaches are expensive. In 2019 alone, data breaches and related fallout from them cost companies anywhere from $1.25 million to $8.19 million. A costly breach can wreak havoc on an organization and it’s getting worse. Businesses need to implement some form of protection from the targeted, old maid style attacks that lead to breaches. That’s where endpoint encryption can help. Texting confidential data is a complex procedure and in today’s offices, employees may be bringing their own devices to work. This could further complicate matters. To effectively create a secure organization, it’s wise to encrypt your systems. Here are a few advantages of implementing endpoint encryption solution edge organization:
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Multi-platform Encryption
Regardless of your particular industry, it’s likely you use a variety of platforms at different levels of your business. Whether it’s a laptop, desktop, or removable device, protecting your data across multiple platforms is critical for any devices in use at your company. There are two types of commonly used encryption methods: whole drive encryption and FFRM encryption.
In whole drive encryption, your OS and data is guarded through encryption of the entire drive. The master boot record is not encrypted, however. If a laptop or desktop gets lost/stolen, the data cannot be easily accessed (if at all). This encryption method is automatic, requiring little administration or oversight.
In FFRM encryption, you encrypt content across various drives. These can be local or network drives, and even removable media like CD-Rs and USB drives. Once you set the policies you want your encryption to follow, it will encrypt these drives. They can support structured (searchable) and unstructured (everything else) data, giving it useful versatility (it can apply to a database as well as images or documents). What ultimately differentiates it from whole drive encryption is that it remains encrypted until an authenticated user opens the files. It’s an effective way to encrypt data, as it protects the data after it leaves the organization.
Protection from Multiple Threats
In endpoint encryption works, the endpoint is essentially where your data gets stored. Whole drive and FFRM encryption methods go a long way to preventing issues and guarding your systems. Fortunately, both encryption types are often implemented as powerful encryption software solutions. These kinds of solutions allow rapid deployment with extensive compatibility and customization features. Software solutions also support self-encryption on certain types of hardware. With a blend of hardware and software-based encryption, your organization can stay secure, maintain regulatory compliance standards, and guard against potential data breaches in the future.
Enables Pre-boot Authentication
Are you looking for a useful way to guard your company’s privacy and data? Use pre-boot authentication. Another handy feature of most endpoint encryption software,
pre-boot authentication is an extension of the BIOS that creates a tamper-proof additional security/authentication layer. The process is versatile, supporting several accounts (both users and admins) per device and offering layers of protection. For instance, the system can lock out anyone if they attempt to enter incorrect usernames or passwords. Pre-boot authentication is configurable, too, allowing the admin to set specific policies for the software to follow.
Manages Remote Devices
With more devices coming from outside the workplace and larger company networks, the ability to manage devices remotely is useful for optimizing your data/device protection. Remote device management allows you to protect data without causing disruptions for users in case of a missing or stolen device. Forgotten passwords can be a pain sometimes, and remote device management relates to those types of issues as well. All of your devices can easily be managed with this company specific policies and device specific information (identifiers, device IDs, directory listings) gets collected and stored further enhance tracking/protection efforts. Using network aware pre-boot authentication helps in this regard also, as it allows you to remotely wipe or lockout a lost/stolen device.
It Costs less Over Time
There are a number of reasons to encrypt your data, but perhaps one of the most beneficial to your own organization is the lower total cost of ownership (TCO). The prevention of breaches and the lack of information leaks from your company ends up saving significantly on the costs associated with the breach. It also protects your customers and clients from any adverse effects improper encryption or security measures may cause in the absence of endpoint encryption. But what really saves the company money is how well endpoint encryption integrates and automates into a system without additional costs. Reports allow you to audit results and make adjustments as needed. Overall, visibility and insight into what’s happening on your systems offers a massive ROI by keeping business safe, secure, and operational.