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Geoffrey Finlay, CEO nCipher: What will it take to get the crypto message across?
February 2008 by Geoffrey Finlay, CEO nCipher
As if the HMRC data loss debacle was not enough, yesterday’s news that four CDs containing personal details from court cases have gone missing in the post, along with recent reports of more lost or stolen laptops and USB keys holding personal records, makes you wonder what it takes for people to do something about protecting our data.
Bu then again, it is not as if we haven’t had earlier wake up calls. And every time it happens, experts and commentators ask the simple question – “why was the data not encrypted?” If the policy to encrypt is enforced properly, then any data lost or stolen is worthless. The more security aware organisations have got the message and are increasingly using encryption to protect data wherever it resides - on the move, in databases, in filing and storage systems, and in portable devices.
So why is it not being done as a matter of course for any business or Government organization? It’s not as if encryption is a black art anymore or is difficult to get hold of; it’s increasingly becoming embedded in hardware or bundled with software.
Maybe it is the fear that turning on the encryption may open its own Pandora’s box. The nature of encryption is such that it relies on good policy and good management. Get this wrong and it is easy to end up with vital data scrambled for ever. What’s worse, data lost irretrievably or the chance that it may get into the wrong hands.
It’s right that companies worry about managing encryption but a well-planned deployment, supported by strong key management and access controls is not a difficult barrier to overcome. The technology is there. But without it, we can expect more embarrassing headlines and sleepless nights for those responsible.
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