Smartphone Security Thoughts
Insight 9: The keystone of security
In the article linked above, David Wood, executive vice president of research at Symbian, shares thoughts and insights on the important role security played in the early development of the Symbian platform.
He talks about why all smartphone platforms are not created equal and attempts to dispel some common beliefs that smartphones represent major security risks for Enterprise and Small Business.
He argues that working with secure mobile platforms and adopting common sense practices, smartphones will, over time, become a keystone of enterprise security as opposed to a weak link .
I have some thoughts of my own. Read on...
Recent reports of sensitive data being compromised as a result of common theft of laptops have helped fuel this fire. The argument is that as more and more information resides on smartphones, the data is more and more at risk because those types of devices are more easily lost.
However, most smartphones deployed in an enterprise have security, centralized device management, remote wipe capabilities, activity logging and other unique measures in place to help protect against this type of data loss.
These are things that were not necessarily available or common when laptops started going home with employees.
And finally, let us not forget the ubiquitous printer, allowing for sensitive documents to be transported out of a building with ease by just printing out a copy and folding it up in a briefcase.
So dealing with these types of issues is nothing new. The human element, whether due to criminal intent, laziness, social engineering or simple naivety has always been at the heart of the security problem for organizations.
Smartphones are just too convenient to not become, over time, the central access point to information within an organization. Just as laptops were initially shunned and then ultimately accepted as the preferred mobile tool, so too will smartphones follow this same path.
Solutions will be built around secure mobile operating systems, secure and encrypted data and best practice administration and monitoring.
Microsoft will push, develop and grow Windows Mobile into such a system. Symbian will continue to offer secure solutions and development platforms, as will BlackBerry, GoodLink, Intellisync and others.
These solutions, initially aimed at government, enterprise and military will filter down to make even personal data more safe and secure as more of our digital lives, both work and home life wind up either residing or accessible from our mobile devices.