encryption

As enterprises and even governments shift their information systems from traditional platforms to mobile and cloud computing, Hong Kong Government Chief Information Officer Daniel Lai, BBS, JP, sees the need for new approaches to data protection.

The concept of protecting data-at-rest vs. data-in-motion comes into play, forcing public organizations to examine various security mechanisms to secure their data while it’s stored or circulated in the cloud and when it’s brought back to the network proper.

But the universal protection of confidential information from unauthorized access remains illusive. There have been numerous cases of data breaches both in the private and public sector, with some of the mishaps occurring through the carelessness of individuals.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and the US Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are driving encryption projects across industries according to the findings of the new 2009 Encryption and Key Management Benchmark Survey c

Ian Kilpatrick is chairman of Wick Hill Group plc, specialists in secure infrastructure solutions. In this article, Kilpatrick talks about security solutions and technologies which will gain traction in the coming year as a result of the economic recession.

Governments are increasingly offering “e-services” as a part of their “e- government” initiatives. However, with the creation of e-government services often leave back-end systems vulnerable to cyber attacks. Governments should consider web application firewalls as part of their security infrastructure to ensure application security.