PGP Mobile encryption allows enterprise users to easily protect data on smartphones
(14/04/2008)

Recent research conducted by the Ponemon Institute found the leading source of data breaches in both the United States and United Kingdom was the loss or theft of mobile devices, including smartphones. With the cost of data breaches averaging $197 and £47 per record respectively, the protection of data transferred and used on mobile devices is highly critical. Many organisations have only started to recognise this imperative, and have subsequently turned to data encryption after experiencing a breach.

PGP Corporation has announced the availability of PGP® Mobile, its newest encryption application that allows enterprise users to easily protect data on smartphones. While businesses have dramatically increased the use of mobile devices over recent years to improve productivity and customer service, the risk of losing sensitive data stored on those devices has also increased.

With PGP Mobile, data is encrypted automatically and can be shared securely with other mobile and desktop users. PGP Mobile joins an award-winning family of applications that are part of the PGP® Encryption Platform, enabling organizations to protect data throughout the enterprise while reducing the operational costs associated with managing encryption keys, users, policy, and reporting for multiple point encryption products.

“The availability of PC and handheld support from a single vendor has finally become a buying condition,” said John Girard, VP Distinguished Analyst, Gartner. “Buyers are looking for vendors that can support platforms large and small, with a similar look and feel, as well as provide common access and audit policies.”

According to Gartner Dataquest, the number of Windows Mobile smartphone sales to end users worldwide reach 14.7 million devices in 2007 (Gartner Dataquest, Market Share: Smartphones, Worldwide, 4Q07 and 2007, March 2008). Compared to 2006, Windows Mobile smartphone sales to end users increased 86.9% in 2007.

“Organisations now realise that smartphones, like other mobile devices, can prove to be a significant security risk to their business,” said Phil Dunkelberger, president and CEO of PGP Corporation. “By using PGP Mobile, organisations can confidently deploy smartphones to their workforce while resting assured that sensitive corporate and customer data is guarded in the event of loss or theft.”

Built on proven encryption and key management services, PGP Mobile provides flexible encryption that meets various data protection and sharing needs of mobile workers. PGP Mobile can encrypt individual files, entire data volumes, archives, or directories. Administrators can quickly deploy PGP Mobile over-the-air, using the trusted key management and provisioning services of PGP Universal™ Server to speed setup. Users can easily share their PGP Mobile encrypted data with other smartphone and Windows users, even those without encryption software using self decrypting archives.

PGP Mobile delivers the following key benefits:
- Comprehensive data protection – PGP Mobile automatically encrypts data without impacting mobile device performance using proven, trusted, and easy-to-use PGP encryption.
- Enforces policy, accelerates deployment – Uses existing infrastructure such as Windows Active Directory to enforce enterprise policies and provides for quick deployment including over-the-air (OTA) options preferred by enterprise mobile administrators.
- Reduces operational costs associated with smartphone encryption – As part of the PGP Encryption Platform, PGP Mobile leverages integrated key management, automatic provisioning, and provides the ability to share encrypted data with other mobile and desktop users – all reducing the cost of deploying and managing smartphone encryption compared to traditional point device encryption applications.