Beachhead Solutions has announced self-encrypting drive (SED) orchestration capabilities for all managed service provider (MSP) and reseller partners deploying the SimplySecure Management System.
SED security is now fully included in the SimplySecure platform, with no changes to Beachhead’s per-device pricing. Resellers can also take advantage of Beachhead’s white-label program for SimplySecure.
MSPs oversee and control SED-secured devices through the same web-managed console currently used for existing, non-SED devices. With Beachhead’s SED management capabilities, MSPs and resellers can enable their customers to very easily retire older non-SED laptops and desktops that are due – or overdue – for replacement. Most PCs built over the last two years have actually included SED-capable drives, although PC makers typically deliver devices with encryption turned off. Businesses transitioning to newer SED-secured devices are protected by the same effective SimplySecure system proven to remotely safeguard a business’ sensitive data. Beachhead’s SimplySecure Management System supports self-encrypting drives on machines operating Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10, as well as the newest standards including OPAL 2.0, TPM 2.0, and Microsoft eDrive.
With the addition of SED-device management, MSPs and resellers can now provide customers with full-disk encryption (FDE) that protects all data on a hard disk by either encrypting the entire volume as an application running above, or an element running at the operating system level, making it an effective-but-cumbersome task that requires significant strain on system resources in order to perform requisite encryption calculations (and can result in a slow and tedious user experience). In contrast, SEDs allow all encryption management tasks to be performed on the drive itself, with no reliance on other device components. This eliminates any impact on system performance; when enabled, the encryption process with SEDs is instantaneous and without installation. Effectively, a self-encrypting drive is always encrypted when not in use, and it remains locked if separated from its power source or device (thus also protecting data from hardware-level attacks). This ideal functionality for users makes SimplySecure an even more inviting choice for MSPs and resellers to offer their customers.
SimplySecure will automatically detect which computers have SED capability and will engage that functionality, while seamlessly continuing to manage software-based encryption on computers that don’t have SEDs. Using Beachhead’s innovative approach of managing SEDs through the cloud with no software to buy, businesses receive a superior user experience that focuses on simple and seamless remote management of all mobile devices – including laptops. With SimplySecure, MSPs implementing the solution have versatile access control capabilities at their immediate disposal. These controls enable administrators to automatically quarantine data, or wipe and restore user access on remotely located devices in the event that they become lost or stolen, or whenever user access must be quickly revoked for security reasons.
“SEDs, importantly, secure sensitive data on the drive itself,” said Cam Roberson, director of the reseller channel at Beachhead Solutions. “It’s certainly (and deservedly) where the industry is going – manufacturers now make almost all of their magnetic and solid-state drive products SED-capable. We want our partners to be able to take advantage of this critical data security safeguard, so we’re proud to include SED management as an integrated part of SimplySecure. We strongly believe this will provide MSPs with an advantage for not only further securing clients’ sensitive data, but also winning them more business.”
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