Businesses consider storage level encryption

Over half (56 per cent) of businesses believe encryption should be implemented at the storage system software layer, according to research from analyst IDC.

The Data Protection Multi-client Study says data encryption is set to go mainstream as governments and industry organisations look to stem the flow of lost, stolen, or misused information breaches from today's enterprises.

Data encryption is expanding to become a viable option for combating emerging threats against computer-based data and helping companies comply with government and industry regulations.

‘For information to be valuable, it must be easily accessible at all times,’ said Charles Kolodgy, director of IDC's Security Products and Services group.

‘The protection and preservation of data is critical and encryption at the storage layer helps ensure protection while maintaining accessibility,’ he said.

Forty-one per cent of respondents cited confidence of recovery of encrypted data as a barrier to the deployment of storage encryption solutions.

Additional key findings from the IDC survey include in the future many will expect encryption to be a feature of removable media, that cost is not a large barrier for those who decide to use encryption and that vendors see encryption technology as mature and ready for primetime, but users remain wary.

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Further reading:

Companies fail to track security threats

Boffins show off light-speed encryption