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Securing your infrastructure- the applications, databases, files and network --via encryption may not always be easy to implement, but it is one of the most risk-averse ways to prevent data breaches and keep intellectual property under wraps. But navigating the sea of encryption tools can be a chore with so many points within IT infrastructure that can be encrypted, from the network to the hard disk, and the database to the file system. Keep your CTO off your back and your project assets safe and locked down. Baseline gives you a head start with seven encryption tools—some free, some not—that you may not know and could be worth implementing.
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- Enterprises looking for free full disk encryption could use Windows Bit Locker, but for a higher level of sophistication TrueCrypt could work. This open-source application allows users to create encrypted virtual drives and can be a lifesaver for protecting a legion of road warrior laptops from data breach scenarios.
- So now you’ve encrypted the hard disk, but what about those pesky USB drives and other removable media? It is possible to lock down intellectual property within these extremely mobile assets with GuardianEdge’s removable storage encryption. Encrypt files and re-encrypt them even when the media isn’t installed on a computer.
- Protecting data in motion is also a big piece of the encryption puzzle. But performance can be a big concern with network security. CipherOptics encrypts Layer 2 and Layer 3 networks while still maintaining wire-speed output.
- Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) is one of the gold standards for e-mail and file encryption. Tap into it for free by taking advantage of GnuPG, the open source version of PGP. This command line system is flexible, and can be made easier to use by implementing API wrappers. From the GnuPG site: “Project Gpg4win provides a Windows version of GnuPG. It is nicely integrated into a installer and features several frontends as well as (German) manuals.”
- Black hats are no dummies—they’ll typically attack systems that give them the most buck for their bang. There’s no more low-hanging fruit than databases and are usually sorely lacking in security. Protegrity database encryption tool allows enterprises to fix that problem, along with file and application encryption.
- The makers of the ubiquitous WinZIP compression software are also stalwarts in the encryption business. Check out PKWare Secure ZIP for file encryption if you’re looking for a user-friendly tool to arm the rank-and-file who are creating important intellectual property with Microsoft Office software. SecureZIP takes advantage of the ZIP format, working seamlessly with Word and other productivity software, while adding the benefit of public-key cryptography. Files are encrypted and digitally signed using SecureZIP, offering a safe way to send sensitive documents over e-mail.
- A virtual private network (VPN) is within reach to even the smallest of organizations through the use of the open source OpenVPN tool. Entirely appropriate for enterprise use, OpenVPN offers configuration support for load-balancing, failover, WiFi security, and loads of specific access control settings.
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