If you don’t pay to protect your data now, that’s OK; you can just pay $5 billion, later…

All of you in the know understand what we do here, and why SafeConsole, our comprehensive USB management application, is such an integral system for any organization that grasps the value of ensuring the protection and safety of all of the USB devices (and all the data) within a network. SafeConsole, developed by BlockMaster, is the most widely-deployed, cost-effective and flexible USB management software; and it is trusted by organizations across the globe to provide complete, granular control over every USB device within a network.

Our renowned USB management software supports partner-secure USB drives from the best USB drive developers in the world – including G&D, Kingston, Autosafe and BlockMaster – and can ensure that your corporate data is safe and protected, even in the event of a network drive turning up lost or stolen.

As such, we spend a lot of time, within the parameters of this weekly blog, discussing the benefits and features of SafeConsole that are so critical in helping companies avoid USB data breaches  – occurrences which are, seemingly, spreading faster than June wildfires in the American Southwest. (In fact, according to a recent story in InformationWeek, which can be seen at InformationWeek, 70% of businesses have verified that the loss of sensitive or confidential data could be attributed to a USB flash stick.)

Nevertheless, I want to take this opportunity to discuss a data breach that had absolutely nothing to do with a USB device. I want to mention this breach, because – even though it did not involve a USB drive –it goes to show that those who do not pay the premium to ensure the safety of the sensitive and confidential data within their network, will almost surely pay a sharper premium – down the road – for having failed to do so…

A recent class action suit filed in Washington D.C. names the United States Department of Defense for, allegedly, breaching 4.9 million records; records that include the personal data of both active and retired military personnel. The breach was said to have centered around stolen (and unencrypted!) back-up tapes that contained names, addresses, personal health information, Social Security numbers, and other information – but what really shook me up about this breach is the possible financial fallout, which borders on remarkable.

The class action suit seeks $1,000 in damages for each compromised record or $4.9 billion. You don’t have to be a numbers cruncher at MIT to process the number. The judgment sought within the suit hovers right around, oh, I don’t know…around $5 BILLION, or so…

Now, our business is in the USB realm. I would be hesitant to speculate on what it would have cost the DOD to make sure their backup tapes were encrypted. But I’m guessing it would not have been quite as sobering as $5 billion! The lesson, then, in this post, is clear: you cannot afford to dismiss the need to protect the information within your network. By failing to incorporate a comprehensive and granular management system that protects the most-widely used productivity tools in your organization (i.e., your USB flash drives), then you certainly can save money in the short term… But, you’ll probably end up paying for it down the road, in spades.