Software Update: Symantec Endpoint Encryption 11.1.3

Symantec has historically acquired two different companies that developed encryption software: GuardianEdge and PGP. Symantec has long released the software from these two acquisitions as two different encryption product lines. The GuardianEdge line was renamed ‘Endpoint Encryption’ and the PGP line was renamed ‘Encryption Desktop’ along with ‘Encryption Management Server’. To an outsider, it was confusing for one company to release two different encryption products that competed and couldn’t work with each other. With the release of Endpoint Encryption 11 largely came to an end in 2014. Since there is no easy way to upgrade from SED and SEMS to SEE, maintenance packs are still being released for the old PGP line. However, the development of new features is only focused on the merged Endpoint Encryption line. The development team has released version 11.1.3 with the following list of changes:

What’s new in Symantec Endpoint Encryption 11.1.3

The following feature is new or changed for this release.

• Preboot customization is enabled for UEFI mode
  On Windows devices that are running in UEFI mode, your customized image now displays in preboot on the Drive Encryption splash screen and logon screens.

Resolved Issues

DriveEncryption

• While authenticating at preboot,the Shift key now works correctly, and users can type upper case and special characters on the following systems:
  • Dell XPS 13 9350
  • Dell Latitude E7270
  • Dell Latitude E5570
  • Dell Latitude E5470
  • Dell Latitude E7440
  • Dell Latitude E7450
  • Dell Latitude E7470

  For more information, see [4057256, 4059618,4059616]

• After installing the Symantec Endpoint Encryption Client on the following systems, Microsoft Windows no longer fails to load after users complete preboot authentication:[4057262,4059613]
  • Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2nd Gen
  • Lenovo T460s
• Smart card users can now complete preboot authentication using the internal smart card reader on the following systems in UEFI mode:[4071835]
  • HP ProBook 640 G2
  • Dell Precision 7710
• Symantec Endpoint Encryption for BitLocker no longer encrypts external USB storage devices.[4050629]
• Lenovo ThinkPad T460 systems that are fully encrypted by Symantec Endpoint Encryption no longer reboot automatically after idling for a short period of time.[4057271]
• Added compatibility with the Micron 1100 EEFD Opal v2-compliant drive running firmware version N001 on Lenovo systems.[4069318]
• The Removable Media Access Utility for Mac OSX can now encrypt and decrypt files on external USB hard drives.[3969585]
• If multiple cached Symantec Endpoint Encryption Management Server installers (MSI files) are available, administrators no longer receive a database deletion prompt while upgrading Symantec Endpoint Encryption Management Server.[3960071]
• The ‘Unsupported’ message now does not appear after installing Symantec Endpoint Encryption or after the users authenticate at the preboot authentications creen.[4060105]
• A Device Error message is no longer displayed when users attempt to install or upgrade the Symantec Endpoint Encryption Client on Dell XPS 13 9350 laptops that use a Samsung PM951 256GB solid state drive.[4072167]
• Stop errors no longer occur when users attempt to access encrypted files on external drives on Microsoft Surface Pro 4 devices that have the Removable Media Encryption feature installed.[4079566]
• An error no longer occurs when administrators attempt to configure database access permissions for server roles if you did not configure the domain using the default NetBIOS name.[3944088]
• NTFS file system corruption no longer occurs after you upgrade the Symantec Endpoint Encryption Client.[4098961,4098967]
• The Drive Encryption service no longer fails to start if there are partitions on the disk that do not have anassigned letter and have not been hidden.[4094396]

RemovableMediaEncryption

• A stop error no longer occurs in Windows 10 when users attempt to access files on, or copy files to, USB storage devices while the Removable Media Encryption feature is configured to use the SEE-RS encryption format. [3991586]

Symantec Endpoint Encryption Management Server

• The database entries for the Symantec Endpoint Encryption for BitLocker client are now populated with a null value instead of a blank value on the Symantec Endpoint Encryption Management Server.[3970890]

Help Desk Recovery

• Users with the Help desk administrator server role assigned through Active Directory group membership in an environment where a DNS domain name differs from a NetBIOS domain name are now able to logon successfully to the Symantec Endpoint Encryption web-based Help Desk Recovery console. [4063204]
• When you search for a client computer using the Symantec Endpoint Encryption Web Help Desk console, the client computer is now successfully located even when its DNS domain name and NetBIOS domain name do not match.[4067915]