Hardly a week passes without a government agency hitting the headlines for a breach of security or loss of data.
As our forces progress and embrace the computer age, we are used to seeing a Police Officer on a street corner with a PDA on his hip and a ticket printer in hand. It is a far cry from the days of the stereotypical whistle swinging and knee bending Cops of Dock Green. But what risks does this present in the age of wi-fi networks, computer fraud and data misuse. Where does this leave our sci-fi Sweeney?
Progress or a disaster waiting to happen?
Its a question that we should be asking but the reply may make us cringe. The answer should of course be, exposed unless Police forces employ measures to make it safe. It is as simple as this, data is portable, and portable equates to loss, damage or theft. So what if a silly mistake could land your personal details in the wrong hands or a simple on the spot fine could lead to your private information being spread across the internet? And thats just the start, some simple examples. Give a thought for the highly skilled, yet pressured detective, who unselfishly takes reports home to complete after a meal with his partner. Where could that misplaced file end up? I could hazard a guess at where our budding Inspector Morse’s career may finish up.
So what are they doing about it?
Managing Director of Complete Source Ltd, James Hall, gives an idea of how our progressive peelers are taking steps to secure our information. “Showcasing the new IronKey range at InfoSec 2008 was always going to be special, but nothing could have prepared us for the interest shown by the UK Police forces”. He explained that enquiries have stretched the length and breadth of the UK and raised interest as far a field as European Police forces. “The most interesting aspect has been the diverse enquiries for application of the devices. From PDA’s to mobile telephones, laptops to even digital cameras.” Displaying a confident smile, the UK’s leading IronKey authority proclaimed, “This is simply the best portable security for computers around “.
This appears true with IronKey scooping awards across the globe in the past year. As far as Security USB devices go, this piece of kit is awesome. From its straightforward plug and play feature to its strikingly crafted and unmistakable brushed alloy finish - the IronKey is a winner.
Designed as the worlds most Secure USB flash drive, home users can choose from 2 options. The basic IronKey is what it says it is. A secure USB stick that benefits from the same degree of hardware encryption as the other products in the range. The second, and most popular option, is the IronKey Personal. We were stunned by its secure sessions that keep you safe and “anonymous” whilst you are online. This is perfect for personal banking or logging into company internet sites. The Corporate Package is accommodated with the IronKey Enterprise. It is a premium service, launched in April 2008 in the USA, and is for those who wish to take their security to the next level. As a managed service it permits full control of a collection of devices from a central unit or location. All the IronKey products are fantastic.
The data and information that is collected on a daily basis requires strict protection. We aren’t seeing too much evidence to support that Government bodies are taking this seriously. Our privacy is just what it says it is, private and we need to keep it that way.
It is encouraging to hear that many of our Police forces are looking at solutions to keep our data and information safe. For that I applaud them and I look forward to fewer stories in our tabloids of embarrassing data protection infringements.
