March 2018 – Laptops can easily get lost or stolen. This means that sensitive customer data could potentially fall into the wrong hands. Encryption is a tool that once enabled on laptops scrambles the contents of a computer’s hard drive, making the files unreadable by unauthorised users. A key is then used during the encryption process, and the correct key is required to decrypt the contents again and make it readable.

While it is not the only area that organisations should look at in the road to becoming compliant, encryption has been named by GDPR as an appropriate way to achieve data protection goals –  If fact, if you have a breach and the laptop is not encrypted it must be reported and it could lead to a fine.

Encryption is actually a relatively easy solution to implement. supportIT recommends a number of tools namely, Microsoft Bitlocker and ESET Deslock. ESET Deslock is a paid managed solution that gives users more control over the device than the Microsoft product, especially if the password has been forgotten and the device needs to be decrypted remotely. Remember with encryption if you lose the password you cannot access your data. The install process for both products is relatively straightforward. However, the encryption process does take time and requires advanced planning, supportIT can assist with this.

Talk to us today if you have any laptops in the organisation that require encryption and we will provide a quote..