Strengthening Enterprise Security through Notebook Encryption

Lost and stolen notebook computers are a source of significant business risk for many companies. It is difficult, if not impossible, for IT organizations to control the information stored on hundreds or thousands of employee notebooks. Yet with worldwide proliferation of privacy laws and regulations, protecting the kinds of sensitive and valuable data that are often found on notebooks has become a critical issue for corporate risk managers.

In assessing the risk to the business, Intel IT determined that a single major notebook-related data breach could cost USD 5 million or more in direct costs alone. Our solution was to encrypt all corporate notebooks, so even if a system is stolen, data cannot be accessed by malicious individuals. The total cost of implementing the encryption solution is significantly less than the potential cost of a single breach.

This white paper describes, in detail, Intel's business reasons for adopting notebook encryption, as well as the plan Intel IT developed to help ensure a smooth, secure, and cost-effective implementation.