Dell announced its Dell Data Protection/Encryption software to protect the data on endpoint devices against data breaches, the company said Nov. Designed to simplify endpoint encryption, Data Protection/Encryption protects data on laptops, desktops and external media, in case of loss or theft, said Dell.

The software will be installed on Dell Latitude notebooks, Dell OptiPlex desktops and Dell Precision mobile and desktop workstations from the factory 'in the coming weeks,' according to David Konetski from the office of the CTO, Dell Business Client. He declined to provide eWEEK with a specific date. The software uses file-level encryption to secure the device against data breaches. Instead of just encrypting the partition at once, or every single file automatically, Data Protection/Encryption encrypts only files that meet the administrator-defined criteria. The options can be based on the end-user profile, data sensitivity, and the organization's compliance needs, Dell said.

The software was co-developed by Dell with mobile security company Credant Technologies, said Konetski. With Credant's Cryptography Algorithm at the base, Dell developers added 'an enhanced user interface, single management console and pre-set compliance templates,' he said. Further reading. Konetski called Data Protection/Encryption a 'foundational' product and additional security functionality specific to Dell are planned for future releases. 'Public exposure of private and highly sensitive data continues to occur in organizations both large and small,' said Eric Ouellet, vice president, Secure Business Enablement, Gartner. 'Managed endpoint encryption solutions that are flexible and adaptable to the demands of mobile users help minimize risks and are an important part of best practice frameworks.' The cost of data breaches is increasing in both the private and public sector, according to a report by the earlier this year.

The organizational cost of a data breach in the United States can be up to $6.75 million per incident, said Dell. A issued in October found that electronic and information theft accounted for 27.3 percent of fraud-related losses, with businesses losing almost $1.7 million per billion dollars in sales worldwide. Since Data Protection/Encryption is currently available for Microsoft Windows systems only, supporting Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7, Dell is offering an optional 'integration' with Credant to secure and encrypt other platforms such as select smartphones and non-Windows operating systems.

The optional Credant offering extends the protection to include Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Symbian smartphones, Palm OS devices, and iPhones, according to Credant. IT managers have access to Data Protection/Encryption's centralized management tools to detect endpoint devices within the organization that need encryption and to enforce encryption policies. The reporting tools let managers see that endpoints are protected regardless of user, device, or location. The reports can be used for audit purposes to meet regulatory compliance requirements such as for HIPAA and PCI DSS, said Dell. The encryption application comes with preset policy templates that let managers define encryption rules for portable USB drives, internal and external drives including eSATA, 1394, and USB, optical drives such as CDs, and Secure Digital cards, said Dell.

There are some restrictions in order to encrypt data on optical storage such as CDs, said Dell. For Windows XP systems, Data Protection/Encryption requires additional software, Nero InCD. Vista systems require Vista Live File System to be activated and Windows 7 need native burning mode support. Dell Data Protection/Encryption is also available through volume licensing, Dell said. The optional integration with Credant Technologies for non-Windows systems are also available through Dell, according to Konetski.

A company that specializes in endpoint data protection solutions, has collaborated with Dell and announced at Dell World its new additions to the Dell Data Protection Encryption portfolio. The new solutions is designed by Dell and co-developed with Credant. The portfolio offers you performance, enhanced security and a broad management platform to protect sensitive information. Dell and CREDANT have also worked to reduce the burden on IT by helping them centrally deploy, manage and enforce encryption policies across their organization. They have done so with consolidated audit and reporting on data protection status. This allows you to focus on innovation and provide the peace of mind that your data is protected.

Enterprise Encryption Software

“Customers constantly tell us that data security and risk mitigation are top concerns of theirs, and together CREDANT and Dell are helping organizations tackle this issue through innovation,” says Bob Heard, CEO of. “Dell Data Protection Encryption gives customers an easier way to centrally protect and manage their endpoints with a high level of security.” Dell Data Protection Encryption Enterprise Edition features Full Volume Encryption. The feature is one of the only commercially available endpoint disk encryption solutions to reach US Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 Level 3 certification. Logo courtesy of CREDANT Technologies It enhances security and performance by offloading encryption processes to the hardware accelerator, allowing customers to apply hardware-based encryption to any standard drive. Dell Data Protection Encryption Enterprise Edition also features Data-Centric Encryption, a software-based solution that protects both the system drive and external media.

It is designed for mixed vendor environments and allows IT to set flexible encryption policies based on end users, end user groups and data sensitivity without end user intervention to ensure policies are enforced. It can easily deploy encryption protection without interfering with existing IT processes for systems management and authentication. Dell Data Protection Encryption Enterprise Edition uses intuitive and powerful management, audit and policy enforcement capabilities to ensure that data-at-rest on these devices are protected. It also gets on a path towards compliance with pre-set policy templates.

Lastly, it can manage Mac OS systems through the integration of CREDANT for MAC with the Dell Data Protection Encryption Management Console. Other additions to the Dell Data Protection Encryption portfolio includes an External Media Edition and a BitLocker Manager. The External Media Edition helps you close critical security gaps even if you have already encrypted the system disk. The BitLocker Manager brings an enterprise level of management to Microsoft BitLocker to deliver a centralized reporting, auditing and policy enforcement. All Dell Data Protection Encryption solutions are manageable under a single console so customers can choose which solutions fit best throughout different parts of their environment. Dell Data Protection Encryption Personal Edition also uses Data Centric Encryption and Full Volume Encryption, but is available as a locally managed solution on select Dell Precision Workstations, Latitude Laptops and OptiPlex desktops.

Dell Encryption Enterprise Software License

“At Dell, we believe in creating the best experience for end users and IT, helping IT organizations gain the control they need to secure and manage their environment, while enabling end users to stay more productive than ever,” says Kirk Schell, executive director and general manager of Business Client Product Group, Dell. “With the new additions to the Dell Data Protection Encryption portfolio, we are providing customers with assurance their critical data is protected so they can focus more on achieving their business goals and adapt to the changing needs of end users.” Schwartz Communications.