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Sophos SafeGuard Enterprise Encryption Product Review
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Sophos SafeGuard Enterprise Encryption
Presenting a brief review for your innovative software needs.
Data encryption has always been an important part of total security solutions for all types of businesses - small, mid-sized and large global enterprises. With the growth of cyber crime in recent years - data protection is an absolute must.
Sophos SafeGuard Enterprise is one of the leading data security solutions available, today. Originally part of the Utimaco safeware product line, Sophos SafeGuard Enterprise was previously known as Utimaco SafeGuard. It was then acquired by Sophos - the developer and publisher of the well-known Sophos antivirus, which is part of Sophos Endpoint Security and Data Protection package. SafeGuard Enterprise is a modular suite that provides flexible encryption options, enforces policy-based encryption for PCs, and supports a great number of mobile authentication devices across mixed environments.
Product Modules:
Sophos SafeGuard Enterprise consists of five software-based components - Management Center, Device Encryption, Data Exchange, Partner Connect and Configuration Protection. All modules are very easy to install and configure with the help of numerous options and settings for both client hosts and servers.
SafeGuard Management Center is the central administration module of the software suite. It provides compete management and security control over all connected clients and users. This module offers powerful functionality, such as centralized role-based management and a unified console for full disk encryption, removable media encryption, and data loss prevention. In addition to that, Management Center has impressive reporting and auditing capabilities.
Device Encryption is the core module of the suite. SafeGuard disk encryption provides comprehensive data protection for all kinds of devices. This module has a wide range of encryption and recovery options and a flexible deploy policy editor. The most noticeable benefits of this module are full data protection against unauthorized access, advanced keying functionality for easy recovery of encrypted media, and ease of central administration.
The Data Exchange module provides unique encryption functionality for data stored on USB media, memory cards, and re-writable CDs/DVDs. This module facilitates fast and secure data sharing between team members or across the whole company thanks to its advanced keying features.
SafeGuard Partner Connect is designed to manage data security in mixed IT environments and provides cross-platform administration of third-party security products, such as BitLocker Drive Encryption in Windows Vista and 7. This way it offers transparent data protection across all parts of the company's infrastructure.
Configuration Protection prevents data loss through ports, endpoints, and removable media. This module protects all computer ports from possible data leakage, malware attacks, theft, and penetration. Some of its benefits include monitoring real-time traffic and the application of centralized security policies.
Related Products:
In addition to SafeGuard Enterprise, Sophos labs offer encryption products designed for personal use - SafeGuard Easy for Windows and SafeGuard Disk Encryption for Mac. These products don't have the advanced features required for enterprises, such as management and synchronization options, but they have all the necessary functionality to prevent data theft on lost or stolen PCs and Macs.
SafeGuard Easy offers full disk encryption for Windows-based computers, user-friendly authentication on operating system startup, and compliance monitoring that can be integrated with existing system management utilities. SafeGuard Easy emergency tools provide advanced recovery options for keys, data, and forgotten passwords. When centralized management is required, SafeGuard Easy can be easily upgraded to SafeGuard Enterprise.
SafeGuard Disk Encryption for Mac is designed to protect data on lost or stolen Macs. This security solution encrypts the entire disk, including the operating system, the page file, and all user data. One of the main advantages of this software is its usability. It's fast and can work quietly in the background without interrupting any tasks. In addition to its advanced features, it provides excellent user experience by adopting Mac-style GUI.
Product Features and Benefits:
Sophos SafeGuard Enterprise Encryption has a set of features that make it a very attractive choice when comparing to its competitors, especially when it comes to management options. SafeGuard Management Center has advanced role-based management options that allow IT professionals to define security policies for various user groups and organizational units. In addition to that, its reporting functionality easily outmatches the ones offered by competitors, such as TrueCrypt and Symantec PGP. As for the security features offered by Sophos, its strong encryption algorithms and its ability to encrypt swap and hibernation files make it a very attractive choice.
When it comes to ease of use, Sophos offers the most intuitive way of managing data protection with the help of its comprehensive Management Center - a great centralized way to manage keys and certificates. Sophos also addressed all problems that can occur when managing data security in heterogeneous environment. The software uses role-based management to enable granular policy enforcement, which makes it superior to pure point products. Another advantage of Sophos SafeGuard is the use of automated tools that streamline deployment and advanced data recovery options.
However, Sophos SafeGuard Enterprise also has some disadvantages. For a start, even though Sophos SafeGuard offers great value for money, businesses operating on a tight budget are bound to be attracted by TrueCrypt - a free open-source encryption solution that has all the necessary features to make it a good paid software alternative.
Another thing that should be considered by IT professionals responsible for encryption is that Sophos SafeGuard Enterprise supports only Windows-based systems, whereas both Symantec PGP and TrueCrypt support Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux operating systems.
Licensing and Pricing:
Sophos SafeGuard Enterprise 5.5 costs $75 USD per license, which makes it a fantastic value for money. In addition to that, a free trial of the product can be requested via Sophos website, so that businesses can evaluate it before purchasing.
SafeGuard Enterprise offers basic 9 to 5, five days a week either web-based or phone customer support. Businesses that require more solid technical support and training can purchase 24/7 technical support for 20% of the base cost. There is also an option to buy the services of a dedicated consultant for on-site support.
Conclusion:
Sophos SafeGuard Enterprise is an impressive modular enterprise-class data security solution. The Management Center module provides a central point of management control in mixed IT environments, implements and enforces a common, organization-wide security policy framework. The rest of the modules offer comprehensive encryption of all types of media, as well as data loss protection, and data recovery. The suite's advanced encryption features as well as excellent technical support options make it outstanding value for money.
About Productive Corporation
Productive Corporation is a specialized software reseller that helps small and medium businesses across North America with software initiatives in security, storage, and infrastructure. We provide subject matter expertise, access to technical resources, and excellent customer service. We also strive to provide the most relevant resources for our customers.
