Wave Systems Launches Cloud-Based Encryption Management Platform

Wave Systems has launched a cloud-based encryption management service to help organizations enforce encryption policies on all laptops across the enterprise.

The Wave Encryption Service (WES) supports multiple encryption technologies, including file- and folder-level software encryption and Microsoft Bitlocker, Wave Systems said Jan. 30. Organizations use the unified Web-based console to configure various policies and manage them from a central location.

The frequency, severity and cost of data breaches are getting worse every day, Brian Berger, executive vice president of marketing and sales at Wave Systems, wrote in the company's Security Matters blog. As mobile devices become more ubiquitous, there are more potential exposure points beyond the traditional IT network perimeters for sensitive data to be leaked. Organizations are now subject to more regulations about disclosing incidents and run a higher risk of being slapped with a fine for noncompliance.

"Many companies are praying they won't get breached or, if they do, that they won't have to disclose it," Berger wrote.

Others believe the costs of deploying security measures are higher than whatever costs may be incurred by a data breach, Berger said. However, recent reports have shown that breaches are costly, and even a relatively small one can "devastate" smaller businesses, Berger said.

Small businesses are required to follow the same data protection rules that govern large enterprises, despite lacking IT infrastructure, staff and money to fulfill those requirements, according to Berger. The new cloud service would help small businesses because the large enterprise deployment data protection technology would make them compliant as well as more secure.

The Web interface simplifies deployment, and administrators can set up alerts for various events and manage what policies are applied to each endpoint. Through the interface, administrators can also generate regular reports to keep track of encryption status for a subset of computers. The client agent can also automatically enroll target devices it detects on the network and apply policies.

With WES, businesses can now automatically implement and enforce encryption policies on any corporate-issued computer running Microsoft's Windows operating system from "virtually any location," Berger said. Even if the computer is lost or stolen, administrators can use the Web-based interface to ensure the encryption policies are in place.

WES helps "level the data security playing field for SMBs by offering a level of protection previously available only to large enterprises," according to Berger.

While Bitlocker is included automatically with the Windows 7 operating system, many organizations are still using folder- or file-based encryption as well as products from other vendors. WES gives organizations the flexibility to work with multiple technologies at once. If the IT team decides to add on self-encrypting drives into the environment at a later date, WES will be able to accommodate the change easily, according to Wave.

WES supports the Opal self-encrypting drives from leading storage vendors.

The cloud service is available to administrations with preconfigured compliance security policies that can be applied automatically. Businesses can sign up with WES on a subscription basis and scale up and down as necessary.