Laptops Offer More Security
Laptops manufactured by Dell, H-P, Lenovo (formerly IBM), Toshiba, and others are adding devices to protect laptops from losing their lode of information. These innovations allow employees to travel with laptops without the risk of losing valuable customer or employee data.
Gateway, Toshiba, and Lenovo have introduced fingerprint scanners that can be required to gain access to websites. These devices reside on the laptop themselves so no additional equipment is needed. The owner of the device can require a fingerprint to be scanned before the computer can even be used. This simple $50 addition can protect millions of dollars of data.
H-P introduced a smart card reader that prevents the use of the machine until the card, presumable carried by the user is inserted into the computer.
Some Toshiba devices require the mobile worker to insert a key and turn a switch before the power can be applied. This is an approach similar to putting a key in the ignition switch of an automobile.
Software developers have produced products which can remotely erase hard drives is a laptop is lost or stolen. Others have developed GPS tracking systems to search for lost or stolen devices.
Perhaps the simplest of solutions is to password protect files. Another easy solution is to encrypt data on transportable units, requiring the user to log onto the main network to access the key which makes the data readable. Had these two steps been implemented and followed over the past couple of years, 60 million records may not have been lost.
Gateway, Toshiba, and Lenovo have introduced fingerprint scanners that can be required to gain access to websites. These devices reside on the laptop themselves so no additional equipment is needed. The owner of the device can require a fingerprint to be scanned before the computer can even be used. This simple $50 addition can protect millions of dollars of data.
H-P introduced a smart card reader that prevents the use of the machine until the card, presumable carried by the user is inserted into the computer.
Some Toshiba devices require the mobile worker to insert a key and turn a switch before the power can be applied. This is an approach similar to putting a key in the ignition switch of an automobile.
Software developers have produced products which can remotely erase hard drives is a laptop is lost or stolen. Others have developed GPS tracking systems to search for lost or stolen devices.
Perhaps the simplest of solutions is to password protect files. Another easy solution is to encrypt data on transportable units, requiring the user to log onto the main network to access the key which makes the data readable. Had these two steps been implemented and followed over the past couple of years, 60 million records may not have been lost.
posted by skgroner | 1:41 PM
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