Hewlett-Packard's (NYSE: HPQ) Secure Advantage portfolio is expanding once again. This time the company will focus on storage infrastructure and offer goodies from encryption to data-auditing tools and even a free online storage assessment service.
Additions include the HP C-Series MDS 9000 Storage Media Encryption fabric switch that protects tape drives and virtual tape libraries (VTLs) in the SAN.
Another new tool is the HP StorageWorks 1/8 G2 & MSL LTO-4 Encryption Kit, designed for the HP 1/8 G2 Tape Autoloader and MSL Tape Libraries featuring LTO-4 tape technology. The kit generates and retains encryption keys so that if tapes are lost or stolen the data remains secure.
HP has also integrated Secure Key Manager with its Compliance Log Warehouse tool to offer what it calls "end-to-end" compliance validation for LTO-4 tape libraries. A Storage Security Assessment tool that provides a personalized report to better manage risk is also now part of Secure Advantage, which HP launched last June.
"Security has risen up the list of top-of-the mind issues with enterprises," Adam Thew director of marketing, Nearline Division, HP StorageWorks, told InternetNews.com. "With increasing legislative mandates and compliance rules in certain industries, customers want an end-to-end solution."
Regulatory and compliance mandates are just two reasons for increased attention to stored data. Businesses concerned about avoiding high-profile data breaches are realizing that protecting data anywhere -- whether it's in use, in transit or sitting quiet -- is a necessity as one data breach or loss happening in the storage infrastructure can hurt the bottom line big time.
In fact, data protection was cited as the top priority for 2008 by IT professionals, according to a Enterprise Strategy Group report, ?Security 2008: Observations and Trends? Jan. 2008. The study also states that the number of corporate records exposed in security breaches increased threefold from 2006 to 2007.
"Companies of all sizes are grappling with how to handle increased business risks associated with data center sprawl, network attacks and new regulatory pressures," said Jon Oltsik, a senior analyst in the company's enterprise strategy group, in a press statement. "The breadth of HP's Secure Advantage portfolio, combined with its services strength, addresses evolving challenges with security and compliance."
