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The State of Endpoint Data Security

September 16, 2013

Absolute Software's recently released 2012 Endpoint Security Report details device theft insights from the 12,705 investigations we completed in 2012.

As the first company to offer remote data delete technology, we monitor the frequency and size of data delete requests which continue to increase year over year. In 2012, customers performed 6,442 data delete commands, up 35% from the 4,812 commands in 2011. In addition, Absolute Software executed 401 successful file retrievals, a 135% increase in the number of file retrievals over 2011.

Combined with the knowledge gained from working close with our customers, we have noticed a shift in focus from hardware recovery to data security, in part because of stricter data breach laws and compliance penalties. We expect this shift to continue, particularly as laws become more prevalent, such as the release of the HIPAA Omnibus Final Rule this September.

Currently, of the devices we monitor for encryption, 49% use software encryption while only 1% use hardware encryption. We anticipate that this breakdown will shift as new encryption technologies such as self-encrypting drives (SEDs) are built into new computers. Industry analysts predict that SEDs will quickly replace traditional software-based encryption solutions which are expensive, can negatively impact computer performance, and often consume significant IT resources to manage encryption keys.

Absolute Software on Data and SED Management

Absolute Software, through Computrace gives organizations foundational support for all activities related to Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance (GRC) for the endpoint including data security such as our Data Delete function. Absolute Secure Drive gives organizations the ability to easily configure each SED, as well as administer users, methods, policies, and system maintenance through to end-of life. Absolute Secure Drive integrates with Absolute Computrace to provide organizations with endpoint security reporting and alerting capabilities, including encryption status and failed login attempts, for devices on or off the company network.

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