Protecting the Police.
Posted on August 27, 2008 at 10:19 am by Gerard C. James
Hardly a week passes without a government agency hitting the headlines for a breach of security or loss of data.
As Police services progress and get to grips with technology, its a familiar sight to see a Police Officer on a street corner with a PDA on his hip and a ticket printer in hand. Gone are the days of the stereotypical whistle swinging and knee bending Cops of Dock Green. But what risks does this present in the age of wi-fi networks, computer fraud and data misuse? Where does this leave our sci-fi Sweeney?
Vulnerable or Impervious?
Its a question that we should be asking but the reply may make us cringe. The answer should of course be, exposed unless Police forces employ measures to make it safe. It is as simple as this, data is portable, and portable equates to loss, damage or theft. So what if a silly mistake could land your personal details in the wrong hands or a simple on the spot fine could lead to your private information being spread across the internet? And thats just the start, some simple examples. Give a thought for the highly skilled, yet pressured detective, who unselfishly takes reports home to complete after a meal with his partner. Where could that misplaced file end up? I could hazard a guess at where our budding Inspector Morse’s career may finish up.
So are they taking it seriously?
Managing Director of Complete Source Ltd, James Hall, gives an idea of how our progressive peelers are taking steps to secure our information. “Showcasing the new IronKey range at InfoSec 2008 was always going to be special, but nothing could have prepared us for the interest shown by the UK Police forces”. He explained that enquiries have stretched the length and breadth of the UK and raised interest as far a field as European Police forces. “The most interesting aspect has been the diverse enquiries for application of the devices. From PDA’s to mobile telephones, laptops to even digital cameras.” Displaying a confident smile, the UK’s leading IronKey authority proclaimed, “This is simply the best portable security for computers around “.
His statement is true and only falls down if users, literally, give their password away. As far as Secure USB devices go this takes some beating. From its simple plug and play feature to its beautifully designed and unmistakable brushed alloy finish - the IronKey is a winner.
Designed as the worlds most secure USB flash drive, IronKey facilitates 3 tiers of operation in its delivery of data protection. The basic IronKey is uncomplicated in its description but it benefits from the same degree of hardware encryption as the other secure USB devices in the range. The second option is the most popular with home users. It is the IronKey Personal. Check out its secure sessions that keep you completely “anonymous” and safe whilst you are browsing online. The most secure business package, launched in the USA during April 2008, is the IronKey Enterprise. This edition is for those who want to push their security to the next level. As a managed service it permits full control of a collection of devices from a central unit or location. All the IronKey products are out of this world.
It is never too late to take action and the Complete Source claim that this could ” Protect the protectors ” is a simple but effective message. The data and information in a Police Officers PDA may not be as interesting as a footballers pay slip or as important as a terrorists potential demise but I think we would agree its best kept off the front of the tabloids and out of harms reach.
Myself I would commend those Police services embracing the IronKey and such solutions and I would like to see other Government offices following their example.
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!