EU: 15 Years of Baseline Protection – Microsoft Corporation sees greatest risk to personal data in the loss of data storage media

Category: Nachrichten
By: T. Gawlick- 2B Advice GmbH - the privacy benchmark

The loss of data storage media remains one of the greatest risks to IT security

 

Within the scope of the “15 Jahre IT-Grundschutz” (15 Years of IT Baseline Protection) event held in Bonn-Bad Godesberg town hall, Microsoft Corporation’s Government Security Director, Mr Gerold Hübner, spoke of the risk of data loss through stolen or lost data storage media amongst other topics (presentation slides available for download from http://www.bsi.de/veranst/gstag/15jahre.htm). This may be tracked online at www.datalossdb.org, a site which is updated daily. Unsecured data storage media pose the greatest risk of a loss of company data (including personal data) – with all the related consequences for the affected company.

All types of data storage media – particularly laptops and USB data storage devices – should, without exception, be used with encryption. The industry offers efficient, fully developed solutions for this, which can barely be perceived by the user yet provide effective prevention against unauthorized readouts. For companies using VPN connections, personal data on the laptop can be spared entirely. The most effective factor in information security is and remains the person handling the information. In addition to the roll-out of an encryption solution, security guidelines applicable across the company for the handling of mobile terminals should be drawn up and staff provided with training in these.

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