With VigilancePro EVM there is no excuse for not encrypting data

(27/08/2009)

The rash of recent data loss incidents (over 516 data breaches in the public sector alone since November 2007) would have been far less of an issue if the data in question had been encrypted.

Overtis Systems has launched the VigilancePro Encrypted Vault Manager (EVM), a desktop application for encrypting sensitive data. Following numerous data loss incidents Overtis felt compelled to create a secure application that could be used to encrypt any files and folders on PCs both in the home and the workplace. The result – VigilancePro EVM – will be made available as a standalone offering and as a fully integrated component of the VigilancePro endpoint agent.

VigilancePro EVM provides an easy means to encrypt, store and transmit data using virtual vaults. EVM not only encrypts data but provides a simple way to share information securely on removable media, email and other means.

Simple to use, the VigilancePro EVM application is downloaded as a single .EXE file onto the desktop. The user clicks on ‘new’ to create a new vault, enters a passphrase, specifies a size and drive letter, and a vault is created. A Windows Explorer window is automatically opened to allow the user to immediately start adding files. All content dragged and dropped into the VigilancePro EVM vault is encrypted.

After files have been copied into the vault, the user clicks ‘close’ and can then copy the corresponding .VPV file to USB drives, CD’s, DVD’s or attach the file to email. The encrypted data can then be distributed or shared with colleagues securely.

EVM is also available as part of the full VigilancePro endpoint agent. When used as part of a full VigilancePro deployment all key management is handled centrally in line with ISO/IEC 11770 best practice. As a result, there is no need to enter passphrases when creating files. Decryption on other systems running VigilancePro is carried out automatically and specific keys can be allocated to user groups, allowing only HR to read HR files, for instance. For users that need to share encrypted data with third parties, such as partners or suppliers, the use of passphrases can be enabled specifically for them. The integrated version of EVM can be used in conjunction with the file and folder management features within VigilancePro, ensuring that only .VPV files can be copied to removable media or to local hard drives in mobile devices.

VigilancePro EVM uses a FIPS 140-2 level 1 certified crypto library, an information technology security accreditation which enables the product to be used within government departments or by regulated industries which need to collect, store, transfer, share or disseminate SBU (sensitive but unclassified) information. All content placed in VigilancePro EVM vaults is encrypted using the AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) 256-bit algorithm.

“All too often data is sent out in the clear. With VigilancePro EVM, there is no complexity and therefore no excuse for not encrypting data. We should all expect governments, banks and other organisations that handle personal information and sensitive data to adopt a zero tolerance approach to data loss,” said Richard Walters, Product Director, Overtis Systems. “Forget compliance, forget complex integration, forget compatibility issues and conflicts with existing IT projects. VigilancePro EVM is a self-contained, innocuous application and it just works.”

Related topics:  Data management and data security   Encryption 

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