Nifty Encryption CD-Rs

I've been blogging a lot lately on data security and data breaches. As the amount of data that is being accumulated and stored increases, the difficulty of protecting that data also increases. One of the type of data breach problems "out there" is when data is moved from the production database out to a laptop or PC, which then either gets stolen or surreptitiously accessed. The security on the personal computer is less than what is on the server, so when the data is moved it becomes an easier target.

One approach to this problem is encryption. If data professionals took the time to encrypt the data they extract from production databases it would be much more difficult for thieves to access it.

Well, I've just received a nifty new product that might help with this problem. The product, Ricoh EncryptEase, is a combination CD-R with security software. The EncryptEase media incorporates Ricoh’s built-in encryption capability and software – including encoding/decoding, data compression, writing and copy-guard functions. And there is no software that needs to be installed on your PC/laptop in order to use the disks. Each CD-R contains the encryption software that is used. Using this software, a user can easily record and encrypt up to 600MB of data in the CD-R portion of the disc, and then set a password to ensure the data is protected. Data can be recorded and protected with a unique password up to 20 times per disc or until the disc is full.

This is a nice combination. No software to install and easy to use. Of course, it means you'd have to store the data on the CD-R instead of on your hard drive - and that might be a little awkward in terms of ease of use. And you'll have to remember your encryption password. But for sensitive data that needs to be protected from prying eyes, the precaution offered by Ricoh EncryptEase CD-Rs should be worth it.

More information on the EncryptEase CD-Rs can be found on Ricoh's web site by clicking here.