Mobile Devices

Mobile devices can pose many unique security challenges to an

organization. Probably one of the biggest concerns is theft of

intellectual property. For an employee with malicious intent, it would

be a very simple process to connect a mobile device either to a

computer via the USB port, or wirelessly to the corporate network,

and download confidential data. It would also be easy to secretly

take a high‐quality picture using a built‐in camera.

When an employee does have permission to access and save

company data on his or her device, a different security threat

emerges: that device now becomes a target for thieves. Theft of

mobile devices (in this case, including laptops) is one of the primary

methods that data thieves use.

So what can be done to secure mobile devices? It will start with a

good policy regarding their use. According to a 2013 SANS study,

organizations should consider developing a mobile device policy that

addresses the following issues: use of the camera, use of voice

recording, application purchases, encryption at rest, Wi‐Fi

autoconnect settings, bluetooth settings, VPN use, password

settings, lost or stolen device reporting, and backup