GuardianEdge to fortify hard drives

GuardianEdge Technologies is scheduled to release a new product line next month to help enterprises encrypt hard drives in desktop and laptop PCs, company officials said today.

The company will issue its Encryption Anywhere Hard Disk software Feb. 14, a centralized management tool for enterprisewide hard drive encryption, said Steven Lerner-Wright, marketing communications director at GuardianEdge.

The product will help GuardianEdge's customers securely share sensitive data with their workforce and vendors, particularly in mobile environments, Lerner-Wright said.

Hard drive encryption is excellent protection against cyberattacks because the practice hinders cybercriminals’ ability to hack into encrypted areas on the hard drive from unencrypted areas on it, Lerner-Wright said.

Encryption Anywhere Hard Disk protects the entire hard drive with 256-bit encryption, Lerner-Wright said. It restricts cybercriminals from planting malware in unused space and temporary and deleted files, in which malicious code can lurk and reinfect a computer even after administrators reformat the hard drive, he said.

The software allows administrators to centrally control encryption settings, password settings, auditing and policy enforcement. They can push policy controls to any laptop or desktop PC connected to the program to protect users from security breaches and data theft, Lerner-Wright said.

Encryption Anywhere Hard Disk creates a unified interface that snaps into an organization’s network infrastructure, Lerner-Wright said. The product works directly with Microsoft Management Console and Microsoft Active Directory.

Customers can buy Encryption Anywhere Hard Disk or create it by buying an upgrade to Encryption Plus Hard Disk, another GuardianEdge product, Lerner-Wright said.

GuardianEdge plans to add program modules to control removable storage devices in June and for e-mail and handheld devices around September, Lerner-Wright said. All will work through the main program console, he said.

The program provides single sign-on for laptop and desktop PC users, Lerner-Wright said. It removes the help desk’s need to assist users who forgot their passwords by including Authenti-Check, a self-service password recovery system, he added.

Encryption Anywhere Hard Disk works with Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems, Lerner-Wright said. It will also work with Windows Vista when the new operating system arrives.

Encryption Anywhere Hard Disk has reached Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 2 and expects to get EAL-4 certification at the end of 2006, Lerner-Wright said. The Common Criteria evaluation covers three protection profiles related to controlling access to information. A successful evaluation will mean that the operating system meets government security standards for assured information sharing within and across government agencies.

The software is also approved under the Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2, which sets minimum cryptography standards in federal security products.