Central Desktop (www.centraldesktop.com), a leading cloud-based collaboration platform company, has made 2012 “the year of cloud security” with the addition of three significant initiatives this year that ensure users of its SocialBridge® cloud collaboration platform experience the most mature data handling process available and maximum safety of their data in the cloud. With these security initiatives – including SSAE 16, AES Encryption at Rest and US/EU Safe Harbor – Central Desktop offers its users a private cloud that is not subject to larger public cloud breaches or issues, placing its solution ahead of other cloud collaboration providers.

“Central Desktop continues to focus on the security of customer data,” explained Arnulf Hsu, CTO of Central Desktop. “For both SMB and enterprise companies, security and privacy in the cloud are high priorities. At Central Desktop, it is our mission to provide better security on our platform outside the firewall than is often available to companies behind the firewall.”

Central Desktop maintains SSAE 16 compliance, the standard that supersedes SAS70, through yearly third-party audits to report on operational controls within Central Desktop for information technology, financial operations and human resources. While Central Desktop’s SocialBridge platform already protects data in transit (SSL encryption), it now also offers comprehensive AES Encryption at Rest. This security enhancement prevents accidental exposure of data on the storage devices themselves, assuring SocialBridge customers that their data is safe even when storage devices are out of their hands. These enhancements come on the heels of Single Sign On (SSO) using Active Directory or LDAP for integrated user administration. Multifactor authentication is available through SSO providers and other third parties.

Central Desktop has also taken steps to address business requirements from European customers and their employees, vendors and partners in their use of SocialBridge products through its US-EU and US-Swiss Safe Harbor certification to address user privacy regulations.

Central Desktop’s SSAE 16 compliance report and Safe Harbor certification are available upon request. Customers of Central Desktop can contact their account manager to obtain a copy of the report. For more information on Central Desktop’s security and privacy efforts please visit http://www.centraldesktop.com/security and http://www.centraldesktop.com/privacy.

About Central Desktop

Central Desktop helps people work together in ways they never imagined possible. Our SocialBridge online collaboration platform connects people and information in the cloud, making it possible to share files, combine knowledge, inspire ideas, manage projects and more. Central Desktop serves more than half a million users worldwide. Key Central Desktop customers include CBS, MLB.com, Harvard University, the Humane Society of the United States, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Javelin Marketing Group, Upshot, Engauge, WD-40 and Workday. Founded in 2005, Central Desktop is a privately-held company with headquarters in Pasadena, California. For more information, visit http://www.centraldesktop.com.