Word has it that IBM is in the midst of embarking on a massive rollout of PGP’s whole-disk encryption. The scheme is being rolled out on the desktops and laptops of 355,000 employees over the course of this year.

Says Alan Mitchell, an IBM senior technical staff member, “This is an enterprise-wide deployment worldwide through 2008.” He noted that “we’re using whole-disk encryption to protect assets.”

Excerpt from Network World:

PGP’s software hides data at rest with encryption. IBM’s pilot program with it last year found the key management to be fairly simple. Over time, IBM expects to include language requiring encryption in its contracts with business partners that handle IBM-related data.

There is no word on the cost for the encryption software rollout to IBM.

Does your organization utilize or mandate any form of data encryption? What about your personal laptop? Do you protect it using encryption?