EMC wrapped up last week with the acquisition of a low-key encryption provider called CloudLink Technologies Inc. to help make its storage platform more secure. Or more specifically, to make enforcing that security across different kinds of infrastructure less of a hassle than it is now.

Most of the components in the storage kingpin’s reference architecture for hybrid clouds already include built-in scrambling capabilities, with the rest – specifically its flash arrays and hyperscale module – set to be brought up to par in the near future. Using that native functionality is often more straightforward from an operational standpoint than laying an external encryption technology over the top.

But it becomes a double-edge sword when moving a workload between two different environments, which is what EMC’s hybrid platform is focused on enabling. Adopting an application originally built to use a certain system’s encryption features for a different one can be a massive undertaking with the potential to significantly delay the migration process and thereby undermine the very core of that value proposition.

The technology that the storage giant is gaining through the purchase of CloudLink will help avoid such situations by moving security up the stack from the individual components of a hybrid cloud to a standalone service that works with many different types of infrastructure. That allows the software to support applications regardless where they’re running, whether it’s an on-premise network incorporating EMC arrays or a public cloud operated by one of its competitors.

A no less significant advantage of that centralization is the ability to control encryption in a single place, an invaluable benefit for the kind of large organizations that the storage giant is targeting with its hybrid platform, which often have upwards of dozens of locations in their environments. CloudLink allows administrators to set separate policies for different parts of their infrastructure and prevent virtual machines from running unless they meet the set requirements.

The technology, which EMC systems engineering president Chad Sakac revealed in a blog post will be incorporated into its platform with the next major release, checks another item on the lengthy checklist that CIOs have to go through moving an application between different parts of their hybrid clouds. But the deal acknowledged that there is still a long way to go toward fully addressing the requirements for the model, which means that the acquisition of CloudLink likely won’t be the last on this front.

No terms were disclosed for the deal except that the 20-strong outfit is merging into EMC’s security division, and that CloudLink founder CEO Alex Berlin take over as the new boss there. The team will continue to work from its current Ottawa headquarters.