Government Technology

For many UK businesses, physically securing computers is preferable to encryption or password protection. This is borne out by the DTI Information Security Breaches Survey 2006 managed by PricewaterhouseCoopers, which reports that "while 24% of large UK businesses encrypt or password protect their computers' hard discs, 28% of them actually physically secure their desktop PCs and laptops". Also, it reports that "the bigger the organisation, the more likely it is to have computer equipment stolen”.  

However, although it reports that 82% of very large businesses reported theft of equipment by outsiders, it also states that a third of all thefts of equipment in large businesses are carried out by their own staff. Therefore, physical security should be the first line of defence in a company’s security policy, providing an initial deterrent to would-be thieves from inside and outside the organisation.  

For almost twenty years Avanquest’s Corporate Solutions and Licensing team has been supplying, implementing and supporting IT Solutions designed to speed-up and enhance business processes, deliver tangible benefits to the bottom line, and dramatically improve the day-to-day work experience for internal and external users within the business environment.  

One aspect of this has been the distribution of PC Guardian’s range of physical security locks for computers and related equipment, including internal components, peripherals, monitors (including flat screen), LCD projectors, printers, copiers, servers and video equipment.  

They offer several models of both keyed and 4-digit combination locks, with cables made of multi interwoven aircraft-quality steel strands with a PVC coating, and the strongest cable being the Ultra which has a diameter of almost 1/3 of an inch.  

Their high quality Ezolution locks offer users a new generation of computer and office equipment security.  Such locks are installed in seconds without a key – just insert the locking head and push! The head swivels and pivots to resist prying and twisting, and the compact design prevents "laptop wobble" on low-profile equipment. The rubber spacers ensure a superior fit on a wide variety of equipment, and when it comes to releasing the lock from the security slot, a bevelled keyhole design guides keys into position for easy unlocking.  

Some locks have now been adapted as ‘multi purpose’ devices, allowing users the flexibility of a retractable lock (which locks back into its handle to create a secure loop, and has a convenient push button retractable cable) to meet the needs for laptop security ‘on the move’. This Ezolution Retractable lock has been specifically designed for travelling professionals, whether on business or taking business on holiday. It can be used to secure laptops, luggage, briefcases and more, whether in the home, in the boot of a car, or in an office or hotel.  

Other locks in the range include the stylish brightly-coloured keyed and combination locks aimed at the student and retail markets, disk drive locks to provide valuable data protection by preventing access or use of the disk drive, and the PC Guardian USB Port Security System which reduces the risk of data theft, viruses and malware by physically blocking ports from unauthorised access while allowing continued secured use of authorised devices, thereby providing an inexpensive solution to prevent unauthorised data transfer within an organisation.

For all of its Ezolution locks PC Guardian offers an online key and combination number registration system for free and secure registration of its products. The registering of a lock creates an important record that can be used in the event of losing a key or forgetting a combination.   

This often-overlooked area of physical lock security for computers etc. has increasingly been the subject of press interest, with reports of the theft of a laptop containing top-secret security plans for the 2006 Labour Party Conference being stolen from a vehicle parked at the motorway services on the M3 in Hampshire, to the more recent theft of a laptop belonging to a Nationwide employee being stolen from his home, costing Nationwide a hefty £98,000 fine from the FSA.  

Laptops are now common items of luggage for both business and leisure travellers, and in addition to the computer itself, they contain critical business or valuable personal information, the cost of which cannot be valued.  
   
One of the eight principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 is that data must remain “secure”, and while physical security locks will always be the first line of defence against theft, the afore-mentioned DTI Survey reports that (only) “nearly one in six businesses overall physically secures their PCs”. This means that in the war on computer theft, just over five in six businesses have no first line of defence … and that’s no way to win a war.