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Calculating the Cost of Full Disk Encryption

Posted by samzenpus on from the cheap-at-half-the-price dept.

CowboyRobot writes "Is full disk encryption (FDE) worth it? A recent study conducted by the Ponemon Institute shows that the expected benefits of FDE exceed cost by a factor ranging from 4 to 20, based on a reduction in the probability that data will be compromised as the result of the loss or theft of a digital device. 'After doing all of the math, Ponemon found that the cost of FDE on laptop and desktop computers in the U.S. per year was $235, while the cost savings from reduced data breach exposure was $4,650.'"

2 of 242 comments (clear)

  1. translation by Hazel+Bergeron · · Score: 5, Informative

    'After doing all of the math,

    "After applying some simplistic formula"

    Ponemon

    "the guy promoting his firm with this /. article"

    found that the cost of FDE

    "without specifying any important parameters such as number of computers or environment in which they are used"

    on laptop and desktop computers

    "but noting that some were laptop and some were desktop because that makes the result sound a little more convincing"

    in the U.S. per year

    Encryption is a lot more expensive in Scotland. They can always look up yer kilt and ken yer keys!

    was $235,

    If this were a porn moneyshot, TFA author would now be panning away from the dick and squirting liquid soap everywhere, seemingly drenching the victim.

    while the cost savings from reduced data breach exposure was $4,650.

    Or $100,000, or life imprisonment, depending on your particular situation. Statistics: on average, not very useful.

  2. Re:One click for $235 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Quote: "The study measured costs in 11 segments: licensing, maintenance, incremental costs, device pre-provisioning, device staging, tech time spent on password resets, end-user downtime spent during password resets, cost associated with re-imaging hard drives, end-user downtime associated with initial disk encryption, end-user time spent operating an FDE-enabled computer, and the value of tech time incurred for various administrative tasks related to encrypted drives. [...] The study found that the most expensive element of FDE is [...] the value of user time it takes to start up, shut down and hibernate computing systems while using FDE."