IRS to Encrypt All Laptops

The Internal Revenue Service has nearly completed encrypting all of its laptops in the wake of an internal audit that showed nearly half of its laptops tested for security contained unencrypted personal financial data, ComputerWorld reports. The article quotes IRS Commissioner Mark Everson, who was interviewed by National Public Radio this past weekend.

Earlier this month, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration reported that the IRS lost 490 laptops during a three-and-a-half-year period ending June 2006.

Many chief information officers and information technology managers view encryption as costly and administratively burdensome. Only 16 percent of organizations say they follow an encryption policy, according to a survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute. CIO Magazine last month offered some tips on how to approach an encryption strategy.