Protecting data outside the office environment is becoming an increasingly important issue for public and private sector organisations. Highly sensitive information must be secured by automatic encryption. Recognising this need, Thales e-Security has a range of products to ensure that security is as tight outside the safety of the office walls as it is within.

Thales e-Security already has a portfolio of network security products for dial-up, leased line, frame relay or X.25. These are tamper-resistant systems that use the strongest levels of cryptography to secure out-of-office communications. But data security in mobile computing does not end at secure transmissions.

Mobile computing has revolutionised the working practices of workers in all sectors and industries. Through the use of a laptop computer with dial-up modem, employees can enjoy maximum flexibility in the way in which they work with the positive knock-on effects of improved efficiency and productivity.

However, for certain sectors these benefits cannot be realised because of other impediments, the most crucial of which is security. The Ministry of Defence, police, intelligence services and Central Government employees are probably the most restricted of all sectors by the security implications of mobile working. This is especially true when one considers that in the last six years over 1,300 Government laptops have been reported missing in the UK.

The global threat of terrorism has reinforced the need for the most stringent IT security measures possible. At the same time the various security agencies can benefit enormously from mobile computing. They need to be flexible and responsive in the way they work and to do this all relevant information, whatever its security status, must be at their fingertips. Therefore there is a clear need for secure mobile computing.

At Infosec 2003, Thales e-Security will launch its new Guardisk hard disk encryption device. Guardisk is the first laptop hardware device that automatically encrypts all data being placed on the hard drive. This removes the danger of relying upon the user to proactively encrypt the data that is being saved.

At the same time Guardisk improves password security management. Current security systems require the use of two randomly generated long passwords. While efforts are made to make it easier for users to remember these passwords, the mental discipline of remembering two nonsensical long passwords is a tall order. In such circumstances the user is extremely prone to physically noting down the passwords rather than committing them to memory.

To deal with this security risk, Guardisk mixes password protection with an additional form of security - radio frequency smart cards. By combining the two a far higher level of security management can be achieved. With only one password, the user can be reasonably expected to be able to commit this to memory. It is also highly unlikely that an opportunist thief will be aware of the existence of the smart card. This means that any stolen laptop will only be worth the sum of its parts.

Of course security issues surrounding mobile computing are not only about laptop theft. There is also the problem of ensuring secure dial-up connections. So by combining Guardisk with SafeDial, also from Thales e-Security, which automatically encrypts all data sent through a modem, the highest levels of security can be maintained.