Automated and embedded security capabilities that will protect and wipe data on any device, whether it is connected to a network or not, are necessary to protect corporate data and enable robust security in modern, mobile information technology (IT) environments, says global IT company HP Autonomy Southern Africa manager Amit Parbhucharan.

Local cloud service provider Altonet is offering the HP Autonomy Connected Backup, along with its SimplySecure service. The service can provide information backup and security on any device and architecture to enable companies to easily manage corporate security and information while maintaining very high security standards, as various sets of data will be wiped or blocked automatically, even if the devices do not connect to any networks.

The ability to autonomously secure corporate data stems from good information management and governance practices and autonomous security and backup tools.

“The key is effective and intelligent management of data and information on the devices and when storing and backing up data. Without automation of these security and information protection functions, it will not be possible to effectively manage and secure thousands of devices and end points in a company within increasingly heterogeneous IT environments,” he says.

HP Autonomy Connected Backup also enforces best practices for reducing data traffic and storage requirements for a fully automated and secure backup to the cloud, which includes reducing duplicate data sent and reducing duplicate data of copies stored on various parts of the network. These capabilities rely on detailed policies being applied to data, which are applied autonomously according to corporate policies.

Further, the SimpySecure service from Altonet can restrict internal access, even for employees within the IT department, based on data policies. SimplySecure enables the IT technicians to access all the systems on the device, but they will not be able to open or extract any data from files for which they do not have permission.

The Altonet service has a self-help Web portal for users to report theft or to make various data restricted. The system also prioritises what data to backup first to secure the most critical data, and also has opportunistic backup functions using any connectivity when data connectivity is fragmentary.

“Using HP Connected Backup with SimplySecure from Altonet, companies can use the tools to program any device to automatically quarantine data, wipe the data or block access to the device itself if it does not link to a known network or if no one logs on within a given timeframe. This means that companies can control their data even if the device never connects to a network again,” enthuses Parbhucharan.

Automation of data policies will also be required to meet onerous data protection and privacy regulations, such as the Protection of Personal Information Act in South Africa.

While regulations and compliance may be driving the changes in business IT systems and information management, the reason behind these solutions is to ensure that a company’s intellectual property and data are secure, he emphasises.

“The responsibility for the governance and compliance of IT systems is now vested with the board of directors and forms part of good corporate governance requirements,” concludes Parbhucharan.