Why is my workstation security so critical when my business has invested thousands in fancy network and server equipment and sophisticated SaaS services? Access Controls, firewalls, and intrusion prevention are the first line of defense for your business’s private data. But if any of these are circumvented by hackers, it leaves your data exposed and accessible. Data encryption is a key piece of your organization’s data protection plan because it safeguards your information if all your other protection fails.
What Is Data Encryption?
Data encryption is a tool that scrambles data into unreadable “ciphertext.” Without a secret decryption key or password, you can’t change the data into readable “plaintext.” In a software system, data encryption algorithms protect your business’s sensitive information and limit who can view these files. If your organization has industry regulations or deals with financial or other private data, data encryption tools are probably required.
Without encryption, a thief can steal your laptop and instantly extract all the information in a readable format. With encryption, your information won’t be visible to anyone without your password or your encryption key, even if they have physical access. Native workstation tools like BitLocker (Windows) and FileVault (macOS) have strong enough encryption protection that unauthorized access is virtually impossible.
Features of Data Encryption
The best data encryption tools are usable — easy enough for your employees to use — as well as scalable and will grow with your business. Features that your data encryption solution must have include:
Whole disk encryption: Encrypting everything on the disk is necessary for increasingly common portable devices, like laptops, tablets, and phones, that are more easily stolen.
Key management: You should have the capability to create, distribute, delete, and store your encryption keys. Key managers make encryption and decryption easy, so your business’s applications can work like normal, and ensure that your organization can regain access to a device when the password is forgotten. With MDM tools like Jamf or Intune, you can securely store drive encryption keys where they won’t be lost or compromised.
Strong encryption standards: The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)-256 is the standard for government agencies and public and private organizations. Both Apple and Microsoft use (AES)-256 in their workstation encryption tools.
Data Encryption Methods for Workstations
BitLocker (for Windows) and FileVault (for Apple) are built-in features in modern operating systems that allow you to encrypt the data on your local hard drive. Kinetix enforces encryption on all workstations with the appropriate security tools installed.
For Windows, we enforce BitLocker by policy through Intune. Intune is Microsoft’s cloud-based service that controls how work devices are used and sets policies for workstation security such as enforcing BitLocker. This feature keeps your business files secure and ensures all devices comply with your security requirements.
For Apple, we enforce FileVault by policy through Jamf. Jamf is a service that manages Apple technology products. Jamf allows organizations to connect, protect, and manage resources and applications, including enforcing FileVault on workstations.
Without these tools (or their equivalent), you can’t have confidence that all your company’s workstations have encryption properly configured or configured at all. This is one important reason that we include Intune (for Windows) and Jamf (for Apple) on all our supported workstations.
Contact Kinetix to Learn More About Data Encryption Today
If you want to know how to encrypt data, contact Kinetix. We are a cybersecurity business for startups and high-growth organizations with essential security options and tailored solutions for your unique needs. For more information regarding BitLocker, FileVault, or how to protect your team with data encryption, please reach out to your Client Success Manager or contact us to learn more!
