February 21, 2006
Too Many New Gadgets, Too Much Information at Risk
The NYTimes writes about smart phones and the considerable security risk they represent for companies.
... "For one, they are configured to hop from Wi-Fi to cellular networks easily, exposing them to deliberate thievery of data. But a bigger threat, analysts say, is that small things are easier to lose, raising the prospect that confidential business files will get in the wrong hands.
Pocket-size devices are misplaced all the time — travelers left 85,000 cellphones and 21,000 hand-held computers in Chicago taxis during a six-month period last year... And as these devices become capable of storing larger volumes of data, some experts are concerned about the increasing vulnerability of those files.
Analysts say that workers are too caught up with buying the latest gadgets, forgetting that their data is far more valuable than the device it runs on.
That is why some companies, realizing the potential for damage, are getting ahead on mobile security by actually buying small gadgets for their employees, albeit with security strings attached." Contd.
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