Tonys company manufactures proprietary tractortrailer tracki

Tony’s company manufactures proprietary tractor-trailer tracking devices. Now that employees will be issued laptops, Tony is concerned about the loss of confidential information if an employee’s laptop is stolen. Which of the following represents the best defensive method?

A. Use integrity programs such as MD5 and SHA to verify the validity of installed programs

B. Place labels on the laptops offering a reward for stolen or missing units

C. Issue laptop users locking cables to secure the units and prevent their theft

D. Encrypt the hard drives

Solution

D. Hard-drive encryption offers the best defense against the loss of confidentiality. Answer A is incorrect because integrity programs validate the integrity of installed software but do not validate its confidentiality. Answer B is incorrect; reward labels might or might not encourage someone to return equipment but, again, will not protect its confidentiality. Answer C is incorrect because locking cables might prevent someone from removing a laptop but won’t prevent someone from accessing data on the device