Mobile computing has become a cornerstone of business productivity. All of the conveniences and benefits associated with mobile computing are obvious to practically everyone. Envision a world without wireless Internet, smart phones and remote access. It is hard to imagine how we could get by without it.
Now that’s the rose-colored glasses perspective — but there is a dark side to mobile computing that very few in business want to talk about or address. It is the flip side to all of those conveniences and benefits: the threats lurking, awaiting their turn to exploit the weaknesses inherent in every mobile device.
The Mobile Monster
From the so-easy-a-monkey-can-do-it functionality of iPhones to extravagant laptop “comforts,” there is seemingly nothing we cannot do with our mobile systems. Functionality is advancing faster than IT operations can deploy the technologies that are supposed to take the pain out of our day-to-day work. Therein lies a big part of the problem — your users have business tools that all too many IT shops have not had the time to learn the basics of, much less secure.
The underlying issue with mobile computing is that more effort is going into enabling it than securing it — it is that simple. The security of laptops and smart phones is just not being treated with the same importance and it is creating business risks that many security professionals have never known before.
Mobile security is the elephant in the room. Is it because IT and security staff are too busy? What about users? Given their “Don’t touch it, it’s mine” approach, are they responsible? Is mobile security completely off their radar? I think it is a combination of these issues and a whole lot more. Mobile computing has become one of the most difficult areas of security to manage given the complexity…