PGP Corporation has added pre-boot authentication to the PGP Whole Disk Encryption for Mac OS X systems deployed in enterprise environments.

Already in critical use within pharmaceutical, government, defense and education markets, Macs are making their way outside of corporate marketing departments to mission critical areas of the enterprise, where users and IS/IT departments must have strong data security to protect intellectual property, customer and partner data and corporate brand equity. The latest release to the PGP Encryption Platform, PGP Whole Disk Encryption 9.9 adds pre-boot authentication to the proven PGP Corporation data encryption technology for Intel-based Mac OS X systems ‘Tiger’ and ‘Leopard,’ providing protection for data on desktops, laptops, and removable media. As Macs proliferate throughout the enterprise, IS/IT departments now have an integrated, single management console for full disk encryption with the same look and feel across Windows and OS X platforms. PGP Corporation’s desktop encryption solutions are the only products available today for both Windows and Mac OS X that are FIPS 140-2 validated for use by the U.S. government.

The increase in corporate Mac usage is evidenced by reports from a number of leading analyst firms, including Forrester, which recently reported enterprise adoption of Macs tripled last year to 4.2 percent (Forrester Research, Enterprise Desktop And Web 2.0/SaaS Platform Trends 2007, March 2008). The introduction of Macs means the data that is created and shared within the corporate environment poses a dilemma for security departments. In a recent survey of 250 companies, research from the Yankee Group found that 87 percent now have at least some Mac computers in their offices, up from 48 percent two years ago.

“Use of Mac notebooks and desktops in the enterprise has dramatically increased over the last few years, and we don’t expect that growth to slow anytime soon,” said Jon Oltsik, Senior Analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group. “The challenge for the enterprise has been straddling the desire for the ease-of-use and array of applications that the Mac provides, with the lack of data security solutions available. Standards-based, proven encryption for Mac OS X is a long-awaited solution that addresses a growing enterprise need.”

In order to eliminate the risk of a data breach in the event of a lost or stolen Mac, PGP Whole Disk Encryption 9.9 locks down the entire contents of a laptop, desktop, external drive, or USB flash drive, including boot sectors, system, and swap files. As a PGP Encryption Platform–enabled application, PGP Whole Disk Encryption can be used with PGP Universal Server to manage existing policies, users, keys, and configurations, expediting deployment and policy enforcement.

“Mac adoption in mission critical areas of the enterprise is on the rise; from product design, to engineering, to legal, securing intellectual property is crucial,” said Phillip Dunkelberger, President and CEO of PGP Corporation. “As we have seen with our email and file products developed for the Mac platform, corporate environments need solutions that easily integrate with existing infrastructure and security standards. With PGP Whole Disk Encryption, companies and government agencies alike can leverage the PGP Encryption Platform to enforce policy and manage cost-effectively Mac and Windows deployments.”

PGP Whole Disk Encryption 9.9 for the Mac is currently scheduled to ship in July and can be purchased through the PGP global network of resellers.

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