Kensington, one of the leading makers of accessories for desktop PCs and mobile devices, says IT theft is much more common than many…
Kensington, one of the leading makers of accessories for desktop PCs and mobile devices, says IT theft is much more common than many companies realize, and locking down devices in the office is an incredibly important security measure.
While cybersecurity solutions cannot stop devices with confidential data from being stolen, proper physical security solutions can. Kensington says implementing a first line of defense with physical locks is a valuable step towards preventing theft that can have a devastating impact on your business.
The Risk and Challenges
Confidential data leaked from a stolen company device can expose an entire enterprise, including company contacts and intellectual property, as well as confidential employee information and sales data. A security breach of this nature can seriously scare shareholders, employees, and customers, in addition to potential investors and partners.
Stolen or lost equipment also disrupts the workflow and decreases productivity. Of course, the loss also increases hard costs for purchasing and setting up new equipment which is critical for employees getting back to work.
Locking down devices is clearly important for enterprise security. The solution though, is not so obvious. Physical security is particularly difficult when different types of devices are involved: from desktop PCs, hard drives, monitors and printers, to convertible laptops, tablets and 2-in-1 devices, as well as other peripherals like projectors and point-of-sale devices.
Protecting such diverse equipment can be a daunting challenge for an IT department.
Different Devices, Diverse Challenges
Kensington offers a broad portfolio of hardware locks and security solutions that can help, including solutions that are customizable for different applications, while offering strong levels of protection.
Louie Yao, who is a global product manager for Kensington, explains that, «Different industries have different requirements and should consider custom keying solutions that allow an appropriate administrative level of IT control over equipment, while helping employees safeguard against theft and avoid downtime due to misplaced keys.»
«In many instances,» Yao says, «an organization will need a mix of two, or even three custom key solutions to satisfy industry standard requirements. Knowing which physical solutions are available to meet these requirements is a valuable step towards implementing the right level of physical security for the greatest possible data protection.»
Kensington has produced a guide, authored by Yao, addressing the wide variety of locks and other solutions available to help IT managers physically secure company hardware and mobile devices.
The key to keep in mind is that any device that CAN be carried out the door MAY be walked out the door, and never come back. The wise advice to IT managers and ALL managers… Lock ’em down.
