Sensitive data security - a cavalier attitude?

The exponential increase in the mobility of sensitive data through rising laptop purchases, USB and other storage devices means that data loss prevention is now very much towards the top of the ‘to-do list’ for most information security professionals. Many organisations still run the risk of having sensitive data exposed following loss or theft of laptops and portable devices. Evidence of this is the continued publication of breach/loss notices leading to loss of brand value and company reputation and bringing about the possibility of fines.

Statistics show that hundreds of thousands of laptops are stolen in the UK each year with many more lost or misplaced. Hotspots such as Heathrow airport see as many as 900 laptops reported stolen each week (source: Silicon.com). Only last week it was announced that Ministry of Defence staff lost or had stolen 340 laptops in the last two years and over 1,000 in the last 6 years (source: heraldscotland.com). Only one in five of the devices that disappeared over the last two years was encrypted, leading security experts to criticise the "cavalier attitude" to the protection of data.

The impact of stolen or missing laptops is no longer merely the capital loss and the inconvenience to the user, the value of any laptop is the information stored on it and this is often many times greater than the value of the laptop itself. It is estimated that up to 60% of business information is now stored on laptops and portable devices and if this data is not backed up it can be difficult, if not impossible to replace. If the data is not encrypted, it can get into the wrong hands and be publically exposed following loss of theft.

Can your organisation afford the risk? These risks can be mitigated by Redstor Protector. For only a few pence per day, per PC or laptop, Redstor Protector offers complete portable device protection and helps protect against a data breach/loss:
Encryption – to secure portable devices and to protect sensitive information from unauthorised access
Backup and Recovery – to recover sensitive data when it is damaged, lost or stolen
Data Deletion – to remotely delete data stored on portable devices that have been lost or stolen or where data is no longer required to be kept
Port Access Control – to help prevent unauthorised data leaving portable devices
Device Trace – to help prevent portable device theft and help Police locate devices if they come back online

A simple and effective way of protecting valuable information, Protector will secure against even the most irresponsible employees and protect sensitive data in the event that it is lost or stolen.
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Redstor have been focused on data management and protection since 1998 and have created one of the largest service provider enabled storage infrastructures (storage clouds) in the UK. Redstor Online Backup is re-branded by numerous well known service organisations and is the engine behind the Redstor Backup Service for Schools (RBUSS). Over 80 Local Authorities and education service providers use Redstor's online service to backup and restore the data of over 12,000 addressable schools in the UK.

The Demise of BSF

With the demise of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, this represents a big opportunity for Local Authorities and education service providers to really drive costs out of their IT support to schools.

Christian Nagele from CentraStage has written a special blog just on this subject. Click HERE to have a read.

Redstor have been focused on data management and protection since 1998 and have created one of the largest service provider enabled storage infrastructures (storage clouds) in the UK. Redstor Online Backup is re-branded by numerous well known service organisations and is the engine behind the Redstor Backup Service for Schools (RBUSS). Over 80 Local Authorities and education service providers use Redstor's online service to backup and restore the data of over 12,000 addressable schools in the UK.

Redstor Finalists for the Education Investor Awards 2010

We have some fantastic news that Redstor has made it as a finalist in the Education Investor Awards 2010 under the category ‘Supplier to the education sector’.

The Education Investor awards will celebrate innovation and excellence in the UK's education industry. In each category the judges will be looking for the organisations and individuals that have demonstrated these qualities over the last 12 months.

The awards will be judged by an independent panel of industry experts and presented at a glittering ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel on 16 November 2010.

Redstor have been focused on data management and protection since 1998 and have created one of the largest service provider enabled storage infrastructures (storage clouds) in the UK. Redstor Online Backup is re-branded by numerous well known service organisations and is the engine behind Redstor Backup for schools (RBUSS). Over 80 Local Authorities and Education Service Providers use Redstor's online service to backup and restore the data of over 12,000 schools in the UK.

More details on the awards can be found HERE

Redstor Mini Conferences 2010 - Manchester and Reading

A very successful 2 days in Manchester and Reading where we had over 40 delegates from various Local Authorities/education service providers over the 2 days.

At these mini conferences, we covered a host of relevant topics related to IT service delivery to schools and how Redstor are helping Local Authorites/education service providers to deliver more, relevant IT services and drive efficiencies without a burden on resource.

Some of the topics covered included Redstor's remote backup service for schools, centralised device management & monitoring as well as protecting sensitive/confidential data on mobile devices.

Redstor were joined by both partners in the education space - CentraStage and Attix5.

Good feedback was received by all who attended these sessions.

Here's to next year!