IronKey, a manufacturer of secure and managed mobile computing offerings, said it is working alongside IT security specialists Caretower to provide South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service with IronKey Enterprise to secure and protect data.
With the new platform, senior officials as well as safety officers from the service can carry sensitive data without risking violating the UK Data Protection Act in the event a device is lost or stolen.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service IT support officer said the service is continually working to make South Yorkshire a safer place, so when data losses in other government agencies hit the news headlines, they took the necessary steps to ensure that all sensitive data stored on USB devices is secure and fully encrypted.
The fire officers are required to take the data with them on location to enable them coordinate response plans in the event of an incident – or when assessing the cause post incident.
With the new tool, IT administrators can track and record that the device has not been accessed, before remotely destroying all data held on the device.
In addition, senior administrators could manage IronKey Enterprise devices and enforce device-specific policies, including password strength, password retry limits and onboard portable applications.
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Caretower’s managing director Phydos Neophytou said the addition of the cloud based-service, IronKey Enterprise Management Service, meant that the solution was easy to deploy and is straightforward for fire officers to use, all in all making it an extremely cost-effective deployment for them.
IronKey VP EMEA Colin Woodland said as the Information Commissioners Office is now able to fine organisations up to £500,000 for a data loss, the pressure has increased greatly on IT departments to find a way of protecting data while allowing employees to carry out their work without any restrictions.
"And from day one, the goal for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and IronKey partner Caretower has been to deliver a solution which sets a benchmark for data security alongside an easy to use solution," Woodland said.
