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Don't let mobile working cripple your network
Write those devices into your security policy now...

By silicon.com

Published: Wednesday 17 September 2003

For years companies have been spending on their network security, protecting the perimeter on the understanding that 'if it can't get into the building then it can't harm us'.

However the move to more mobile ways of working has suddenly left the front door open to all and sundry as unmonitored data travels in and out of the building in pockets, briefcases and handbags.

silicon.com this week revealed that 68 per cent of businesses do not have policies in place relating to the use of PDAs on their network. This means staff are free to come and go with their PDAs and plug straight into the network to upload and download whatever they please.

The same is often to be seen with laptops. Often people will surf the web and open email attachments on their laptop while they are outside the company firewall. Maybe even download files from peer-to-peer services. They will also perhaps find time to do some work and then take their laptop to the office and plug straight into the network, sharing any malware they've picked up along the way.

And that's not the only threat. In fact a far more serious menace posed by PDAs is the fact that their unmonitored use makes your data very portable. A mission critical spreadsheet or document could be off the premises within seconds and you would have done nothing to stop it.

While such obvious holes exist in a company's security, the hard work and money spent safeguarding the perimeter becomes meaningless. It's not always the threat from the great unknown which poses the greatest risk to your business, it's often the threat of the people to-ing and fro-ing.

Write a comprehensive policy which covers all mobile working. Mobile working is the way forward and it's a great development in the work-life balance debate but it can also be very insecure. Do it now.

...go on... what are you waiting for?