Product Details
Product Rating
Credant Mobile Guardian
DbEncrypt/AppDetective
DESlock+
NMS for PC/PDA
Office Guard
PGP Universal/Desktop
SafeBoot
SafeGuard Private Disk/SafeGuard Easy
SecureDoc
SSH Tectia Server and Client
Steganos Safe 6
Best Buy is awarded to DESlock+ which represents excellent value as a complete out of the box package. It has everything you need for securing your sensitive stored data, including USB tokens, intuitive utilities for key management and overall use, and useful integration with Microsoft Outlook. It is a well-considered product and with a little attention from the user, it will provide valuable functionality. Our Recommended product is PGP Universal/Desktop. Especially appealing about the PGP products is the no-nonsense, almost minimalist, approach coupled to good functionality and comprehensive documentation. Potentially quite powerful, the desktop products in particular would be easily mastered by the average user who is prepared to study the documentation and understand the principles involved. The server product extends this philosophy to the enterprise.
Data encryption (2004)
Children whisper, adults wink – everyone loves secrets. Corporate secrets are a liability though, not a luxury, and Julian Ashbourn shows you how to keep them
Encryption is generally thought to have evolved from ancient Roman times where Julius Caesar is said to have actively employed the principle for secure messaging. In fact, encryption might have been used well before his time by other ancient civilizations.
Since then, we have developed the idea and improved encryption techniques in order to stay one step ahead of those who would seek to crack them. A famous example of codebreaking is the work undertaken at Bletchley Park in England by the late Alan Turing in order to crack the U-boat Enigma codes recovered by the Royal Navy during World War II (and effectively inventing the digital computer).
Today, we tend to equate encryption with computer-generated files and, indeed, utilize the processing power of modern computers as part of the encryption solution. We also have a number of popular encryption algorithms such as DES, triple-DES, AES, Blowfish, IDEA, RC4 and others from which to choose.
When transmitting sensitive data, we often use encryption in conjunction with certificates and keys within a public key infrastructure (PKI), with a lot of emphasis placed on user identity verification and non-repudiation.
There are other ways of using encryption, of course. One way is to use it in a simple manner to encrypt and decrypt files stored and used on a PC or equivalent device in order to protect such files from access by anyone other than the legitimate user. Thus, should the PC be stolen or otherwise accessed by an unauthorized individual, the data held in permanent storage may be considered reasonably secure – a desirable state of affairs given the popularity of portable computing devices, especially when used by those working for government agencies or other organizations where sensitive data might be in regular use.
In this round-up, we examine some interesting products capable of encrypting and thus protecting your data, whether held on your PC workstation, portable computer or network drive.
There are various approaches, including the encryption of your entire hard disk, or more selective folder and file encryption, providing flexibility according to requirements. Similarly, a degree of central administration might or might not be appropriate according to your particular situation. Whatever your requirements, there are well proven products available which will help you to achieve your desired operational mode of encryption.
So what should you look for in an encryption product? After all, many of them use the same algorithms, so shouldn't they be roughly equivalent in the level of security provided? Maybe, but there are other factors to consider. For example, how is user authentication managed? At what point? How are passwords stored? Can the product work in conjunction with related technologies like smartcards and biometrics? How complex an operational environment are you prepared to accept in your quest for enhanced security? This last point is particularly pertinent, especially from the user's perspective.
If the infrastructure and mode of operation is too complex, users will get it wrong, forget the process, or simply bypass it altogether, somewhat defeating the objective. For an encryption regime to be used enthusiastically and consistently, it needs to be straightforward and intuitive to such a degree that users forget about it and work without worrying about the technology.
A good encryption product should, once configured, be transparent to the user while offering robust security and reliable recovery procedures if things go wrong. It should be equally intuitive in its configuration ensuring that, whether installed by a corporate administrator or end user, the principles involved are easily understood and remembered.
This will be important during changes of infrastructure, equipment upgrades, equipment failure and other such infrequent situations. The majority of products are well considered from this perspective, but it pays to look carefully at this operational functionality as well as the technical capability of each product.
Of course, even before this stage, you should carefully consider why you need to use data encryption at all. What are the perceived risks? What does it mean if your data falls into the wrong hands? What is the realistic probability of it happening? What access-control mechanisms are currently employed within your organization, or by you personally?
When you have made a detailed appraisal of the situation, you will be able to specify your requirements accordingly and work out how they align with the available products.
This group test will help you understand what's on offer, but we encourage you to focus on your short-listed solutions as encryption products. Their associated methodology is not something you will want to be changing too often. The good news is that there are some very interesting and capable products from which to choose.
