Another government laptop containing personal info lost

probe

http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=NEWS-qqqs=news-qqqid=35090-qqqx=1.asp

.probe

Martyr

i always said muppets ran the country.

Static M.e.

On the topic, what do you think is the best way for Companies to secure laptops? and the data on them?

At the moment, Im trying to get the point across that we shouldn't need to keep any data on laptops and instead have all laptops connect back to HQ. Then use something like Cisco Secure Desktop/Terminal Services/Citrix to give the clients something to work off that has the look/feel of a desktop but all the work they do is actually stored in a central site (Once the tunnel is broken, all temp files are removed). The idea being that if the laptop is stolen, its not really that big of a deal because no data is stored on the laptop.

What do you think?

Ginkgo

www.pointsec.com
www.pgp.com

are mentioned in the chapter on encryption in Schifreen's book on IT security (an accessible and interesting guide to IT security in non technical terms)

http://www.defeatingthehacker.com

Martyr

On the topic, what do you think is the best way for Companies to secure laptops? and the data on them?

i'd back you up on what you said.

why do companies feel the need to transport sensitive data on portable devices when its not really necessary??..seems to only be a convenience really, is it not?

but if it was required, then some disk encryption would be good.

Stheno

Static M.e. wrote: »

On the topic, what do you think is the best way for Companies to secure laptops? and the data on them?

At the moment, Im trying to get the point across that we shouldn't need to keep any data on laptops and instead have all laptops connect back to HQ. Then use something like Cisco Secure Desktop/Terminal Services/Citrix to give the clients something to work off that has the look/feel of a desktop but all the work they do is actually stored in a central site (Once the tunnel is broken, all temp files are removed). The idea being that if the laptop is stolen, its not really that big of a deal because no data is stored on the laptop.

What do you think?

I'd go with that same idea, or even go so far as to convert any existing laptops to thin clients and move forward with a thin client alternative.

If it was absolutely vital from a business point of view to save data on laptops then hard drive encryption, along with two factor authentication and power on passwords.

Black Swan

Static M.e. wrote: »

On the topic, what do you think is the best way for Companies to secure laptops? and the data on them?

"Good luck on your mission impossible Mr Phelps... This device will self-destruct in 15 seconds!"

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

"Good luck on your mission impossible Mr Phelps... This device will self-destruct in 15 seconds!"

Because he's gay and God hates him...?

How does the central HQ idea work if you have to use the data? If you are plugging it into things such as STATA or Matlab etc, will having the data being store remotely not slow these up?

Personally I use truecrypt on all of my files.

Black Swan

Deleted User wrote: »

Personally I use truecrypt on all of my files.

Is truecrypt compatible with Vista?

voodoo

Guys, I find Safeboot to be very good and it's proven technology too...

Agree with the "saving data to laptops" point of view, but its worth looking outside of laptops... lets lock down ports too - easy for some muppet to put the data on a memory stick and then lose the shagging thing...