Keeping secure when smartphones enter the office
By Deborah Bates
27/04/2011
Allowing employees to use their personal smartphones or computers whilst at work may create a whole host of "technical, regulatory and legal issues," according to some security experts.
R00tSecurity.org reported that with the rise in employees using this technology in the workplace came increased threats to their employers' security.
This may encourage more companies to re-assess their IT system management, and ensure it is as secure, protected and locked-down as possible - particularly as one expert, Michael Everall, said the problem was "not going away."
The chief information security officer claimed that it was a very real topic that had to be tackled: "It's not a question of whether it's happening, it's here and it's not going away."
"We have to know what's available out there so we can take the cost proposition to the board level and say 'This is what's happening and this is what you are going to do."
By realising the security issues smartphones could create, and doing something to mitigate the risk of infiltration, companies could avoid "a horrible mess of nastiness," Everall added on Silicon.com.
This "nastiness" could potentially see corporate data and intellectual property being stolen or lost; or confidential financial numbers being leaked.
As such, the benefits of protecting themselves could be just the push companies need to get tough with their smartphone-wielding employees.
