A study by the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner has revealed that New Zealanders are at risk of having their personal details compromised. A government survey has revealed lax security practices when it comes to portable storage devices. For example, 43 percent of agencies did not provide disk encryption software while allowing the use of USB memory sticks for work-related purposes.
According to stuff.co.nz a survey taken at 42 government agencies has revealed lax security practices when it comes to portable storage devices. According to this survey, 43 percent did not provide disk encryption software although 95 percent allowed the use of storage devices like USB memory sticks for work-related purposes. Furthermore, nearly 67 percent allowed employees to use personal PSDs at work. Obviously, without data protection measures like disk encryption this could lead to significant information security breaches. For example, if someone copies work-related files to one's personal USB memory stick and forgets to delete it afterwards, it could be read by friends, family, perfect strangers (if the disk is lost). There is also the risk of inadvertently taking the information when switching jobs. The stuff.co.nz article has other details showing how there is a high risk of a data breach.
According to stuff.co.nz a survey taken at 42 government agencies has revealed lax security practices when it comes to portable storage devices. According to this survey, 43 percent did not provide disk encryption software although 95 percent allowed the use of storage devices like USB memory sticks for work-related purposes.
Furthermore, nearly 67 percent allowed employees to use personal PSDs at work. Obviously, without data protection measures like disk encryption this could lead to significant information security breaches. For example, if someone copies work-related files to one's personal USB memory stick and forgets to delete it afterwards, it could be read by friends, family, perfect strangers (if the disk is lost). There is also the risk of inadvertently taking the information when switching jobs.
The stuff.co.nz article has other details showing how there is a high risk of a data breach.
Portable storage devices generally include USB memory sticks (aka flashdrives or thumbdrives), external hard disks, laptops, and data tapes--usually used for backup purposes. However, MP3 players, iPods, cell phones, BlackBerries, and netbooks are also listed in the stuff.co.nz article. Technically, any digital device that can store information is a PSD. Digital cameras could also be included as wel as CDs under this definition.
Encryption software like AlertBoot data security suites works by scrambling data. If you have the key (generally in the form of a password for most people), you can unscramble the data and read the contents. If you don't have the key, you have to find some way of unscrambling the data. With modern encryption schemes, even if you were to use all the computer power available across the world, it'd take you decades to even get a fifty-fifty chance of figuring out the contents.
Related Articles and Sites:http://www.privacy.org.nz/media-release-portable-storage-devices-survey-results-show-personal-information-at-risk/