The reasons for this dismal state of affairs range from cost and integration challenges to entrenched organizational resistance exacerbated by a lack of leadership. The compliance focus is particularly galling. Encrypting a subset of data amounts to a "get-out-of-jail-free card" because it may relieve companies from having to notify customers of a breach. But knowingly doing the bare minimum to check a compliance box isn't security; it's a cop-out.
Admittedly, IT pros often face stiff resistance when they try to do more. "Our IT staff is working to increase the use of encryption, but frankly, users are more interested in quick and easy access to their data and don't really think about security," says one respondent. "The idea of getting data on a flash drive or laptop encrypted never enters the minds of most of the staff, from the director on down."
We say entrenched resistance because this isn't a new phenomenon--back in 2007, a Ponemon Institute survey found that just 16% of U.S. companies take an enterprise-wide approach to encryption. Network Computing examined the state of enterprise encryption at the time and found adoption to be a gradual process, often starting with backup tapes and spreading from there. A piecemeal approach was the norm then, and we're still moving in fits and starts, despite the momentum generated by compliance frameworks such as PCI, which requires encryption of credit card data in transit.
The Interoperability Factor
Part of the problem is that standards efforts have yielded exactly zero breakthroughs where we need them most--in interoperability, which would make encryption management easier and less expensive. We don't expect that situation to get better anytime soon.
When we asked IT pros what would increase their companies' use of encryption, responses ranged from built-in operating system support for creating encrypted files and folders (something Microsoft is working toward, as we'll discuss) to improved ease of use and performance, lower cost, and better key management. A few desperate souls wished for more regulation, or even a breach that would require notification of customers, to use as leverage for gaining funding and management buy-in.
"I'd like to think that it would only take the force of will to do the right thing," says a network director at an educational institution. "In reality, it would probably require a breach or exposure to shine the light on the problem."
Our favorite response: "I wish I knew so I could exploit it."
SecurVoice by www.SecurDigital.com is addressing two distinct customer segments; Consumer Markets first and then Federal and State. Although our products have broad application, we have targeted the Banking Institutions, Financials Services, and Legal Confidentiality corporate market concerns, plus the US Government needs of Privacy (128-bit encryption) as our initial area of focus.
Strategic and channel vendors with consumer distribution capabilities will be approached first. The proceeds from this raise will be utilized for product development and to build sales, marketing and support resources for these sectors. In the Federal and State initiative, SecurVoice will work to attain both Secret and Top Secret Certification from the U.S. Government and the NSA.
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