Security firm McAfee is claiming to offer protection from data breaches and corporate espionage with the latest version of its data protection suite.

McAfee Total Protection for Data monitors and protects data from web, peer-to-peer and email traffic.

The latest version of the security suite also offers endpoint encryption. The new feature integrates with McAfee's ePolicy Orchestrator to encrypt files and control which users can decode and access them.

McAfee hopes that the inclusion of the encryption tools will appeal to businesses worried about compliance, as well as those looking to secure customer information in the wake of last year's rash of data thefts.

Documents encrypted by the software would be rendered unreadable in the event of a breach or hardware theft, according to the company.

"The new solution is the first offering to truly protect businesses from the ramifications of data loss," said Vimal Solanki, vice president of solutions and competitive marketing at McAfee.

"Now enterprises can ensure that sensitive data cannot be used by those that are not authorised to see the data."

McAfee Total Protection for Data is currently available for Windows 2003 servers and Windows XP and 2000 PCs.