We get a lot of questions and concerns around encryption and how the implementation will affect the organization. Although people recognize the benefits of encryption, there are a lot of misconceptions around the notion of encryption and its impact within an organization.  It’s not to say that these misconceptions hadn’t been true once upon a time but with the evolution of technology, many of these “facts” have truly turned into something of the past. To dispel these myths, we have put together a handy guide on frequent encryption misconceptions and the reality behind them.

1. Windows Login Passwords are adequate to protect your desktops and laptops.  In the event that the device becomes lost or stolen, a 3^rd party can easily circumvent a device protected only with a Windows Login password and access all the private and confidential information stored within the device.
2. Data encryption slows down performance and hinders productivity.  Many encryption operations can now perform more efficiently on the processing hardware (with technology such as AES-NI) making performance less of an issue; thereby, running seamlessly in the background without the user even realizing it.
3. It is a headache for IT to deploy data encryption solutions.  A single management console is imperative.  This allows IT to easily deploy, manage and support devices no matter what the enterprise’s encryption strategy is.  Transparency and control can be granted to the IT department so that there are no surprises.
4. Encryption solutions for the enterprise are way too expensive. Too often, organizations do not factor in the cost of lost or stolen data.  Add the risk of hefty fines and negative public attention and suddenly an encryption solution to ensure the safety of your private data doesn’t seem so bad anymore.
5. OS-based encryption solutions are enough to protect the enterprise. Many of the free OS-based encryption solutions simply do not offer the features and functionalities organizations need to fully secure their data. In addition, many of these solutions support only a few device types, making it hard for the organization to use the same solution across the company, where employees may have different devices.
6. There is no compelling reason for data encryption. With many recent public data breaches reported around the globe, it is clear that hackers and thieves are getting smarter and more sophisticated and lax data security continues to be a problem.  Given the importance of your corporate data and the need to maintain a positive brand image, isn’t it time your security policies got smarter too?
7. It is not practical to encrypt and manage mobile devices within an organization. Given many organizations are going down the path of Bring your own device (BYOD), it makes sense to encrypt mobile devices as they quite often contain private financial and organizational data that could trigger serious consequences if leaked.  With a capable enterprise wide encryption solution, a single management console along with a flexible solution that works on all types of devices will help mitigate these risks.

Download the full version of our whitepaper – Data Encryption Demystified today to learn more!  Or get in touch with our product specialists at sales@winmagic.com.