Published:
Key to preventing data loss is knowing exactly what to protect
For less than £60 per laptop Bracknell Forest Borough Council has protected against data loss
Newbury, UK: November 20th, 2008 - The biggest security challenge that organisations face when it comes to preventing data loss and security breaches is knowing exactly what data and devices they have and need to secure, according to security specialists, Absolute Software.
Data loss hasn't been out of the headlines throughout 2008. Some of the UK's most data sensitive organisations have been victims of it, but have been equally guilty of inadequate management of sensitive information that should have been stored responsibly.
One organisation that took a strategic decision to take positive action and protect against data loss was Bracknell Forest Borough Council. It activated ComputraceOne from Absolute Software on its laptops. ComputraceOne is a unique software solution that is used to manage mobile devices, and in the event of a device being lost or stolen can track and recover it and 'self destruct' any sensitive data to stop it being used for malicious purposes.
Richard Dawson, IT Services Manager at the Council said: "For less than £60 per laptop over its life, ComputraceOne has provided not only value for money, but it has ensured that our data has not gotten into the wrong hands. In the last three months alone, we have been able to deactivate and remove all data from three decommissioned laptops as well as recover a stolen laptop.
"Had it not been for our wise decision to activate ComputraceOne from Absolute, we would not have been able to retrieve our assets."
Every effort should be taken to protect against data loss including:
Security policy - Have a security policy that is understood and adhered to by every staff member where appropriate
Authorisation - Make sure that only authorised staff have the 'keys' to access sensitive data and, more importantly, the ability to copy data to devices
Management - Know exactly how many devices including mobile phones, laptops and PDAs are used by the organisation to go about its business
Accountability - Be able to account for devices that are decommissioned and retrieve devices from employees leaving the company
Tracking - Have the right technology to track and recover lost or stolen devices and if necessary 'self destruct' sensitive data contained on them
Security specialist, William Pound at Absolute Software said: "Organisations need to take responsibility for the data on their mobile devices as the information often can be about customers or partners, so the consequences of a breach are far wider than just the organisation itself. To take responsibility there needs to be policy and traceability.
"Asset management is key. Knowing who has a device and, if necessary, where it is. This is particularly important if a device is lost. Tracking software will trace the device and allow it to be recovered. More than that, with this technology installed onto a device, sensitive data files can be deleted, preventing it from being used maliciously."
For more information on Absolute and its range of Computer Theft Recovery, Data Protection and Secure Asset Tracking™ solutions, please visit www.absolute.com/emea
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Deborah Leah / Fiona Whyatt
Insight Marketing & Communications
dleah@insightmkt.com / fwhyatt@insightmkt.com
+44 (0) 1625 500 800
+44 (0) 7810 834 548
Brenda Robb, Marketing Manager -
EMEA
brobb@absolute.com
+44(0) 7825 924 361
EMEA Public Relations
About ComputraceOne
Absolute Software is the leader in Computer Theft Recovery, Data Protection and Secure Asset Tracking™ solutions. Absolute Software provides organisations and consumers with solutions in the areas of regulatory compliance, data protection and theft recovery. The Company's ComputraceOne® product works by providing a multi-layered security solution. It enables hardware assets to be automatically tracked and better managed for business, education and government and if the computer is stolen, Absolute works with local police to track and recover it. Even if the thief tries to wipe the system, this application self heals and allows the tracking process to continue.
The ComputraceOne application is loaded on the hard drive of a computer while support for the ComputraceOne agent is embedded in the BIOS or firmware from major computer manufacturers, such as Dell, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba, Fujitsu, Gateway, Panasonic and Motion Computing, to prevent it from being removed by unauthorised users. * If the hard drive is reformatted or replaced, the ComputraceOne agent support in the firmware rebuilds the necessary application files on the hard drive.
The ComputraceOne Technology Platform is the client/server architecture that delivers Absolute Software's Computer Theft Recovery, Data Protection and Secure Asset Tracking™ services. Thanks to the secure, patented Computrace One agent's ability to use any Internet connection to communicate (over IP or PSTN) with the Monitoring Centre server, Absolute's security services are exceptionally easy to manage on all computers across the enterprise.
Absolute's customers have a wide range of security services available, both as theft deterrents and for post-theft mitigation.
Pre-theft management capabilities include the ability to:
Inventory computers that are in the field, disconnected from the LAN
Report on installed software, software installations and hardware changes
Check antivirus and encryption software status remotely
Track leased computers to ensure timely returns
Deter theft through loss control and policy management
Post-theft damage mitigation capabilities include the ability to:
Physically recover missing computers and gather evidence for prosecution
Remotely delete sensitive information
Determine whether sensitive files have been accessed by thieves
Remotely disable stolen computers, making them useless to thieves
Remotely retrieve sensitive files prior to remote deletion
*For a complete list of firmware-supported computers, see www.absolute.com/firmware
About Absolute Software
Absolute Software Corporation (TSX: ABT) is the leader in computer theft recovery, data protection and secure IT asset management solutions. Absolute Software provides organisations and consumers with solutions in the areas of regulatory compliance, data protection and theft recovery. The Company's Computrace software is embedded in the firmware of computers by global leaders, including Dell, Fujitsu, General Dynamics Itronix, HP, Lenovo, Motion, Panasonic and Toshiba, and the Company has reselling partnerships with these OEMs and others, including Apple. For more information about Absolute Software and Computrace, visit www.absolute.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, the expected performance of our services and products; the possible addition of features or services to current Absolute offerings, such as emergency remote data retrieval, including the anticipated availability of any such features or services, if any; and other expectations, intentions and plans contained in this press release that are not historical fact. When used in this press release, the words "plan," "expect," "believe," and similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current expectations. They are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, changes in technology and general market conditions. In light of the many risks and uncertainties you should understand that we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release will be realised.
©2008 Absolute Software Corporation. All rights reserved. Computrace, Secure Asset Tracking and Absolute are registered trademarks of Absolute Software Corporation. Computrace U.S. patents No. 5,715,174, No. 5,764,892, No. 5,802,280, No. 5,896,497, No. 6,244,758, No. 6,269,392, No. 6,300,863, and No. 6,507,914. Canadian patents No. 2,284,806 and No. 2,205,370. U.K. patents No. EP793823 and No. GB2338101. German patent No. 695 125 34.6-08. Australian patent No. 699045. Japanese patent No. JP4067035. The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved of the information contained in this news release.
Copyright © 2009, WebitPR
Copyright © 2009, NewsBlaze,
Daily NewsTags:
_ _Is your favorite bookmark site missing?
Ask for it.
Search News
Daily News
