| Do you own a keychain USB jump-drive, a PDA, | | | | |
| or an | | | | human. And humans make mistakes an erroneous |
| | | | judgment |
| all-in-one mobile communications device? If | | | | |
| you do, what | | | | calls.How To Secure Mobile Devices |
| | | | |
| type of information do you store on it? Many | | | | Because there a so many types of mobile |
| people would | | | | storage and |
| | | | |
| say there is nothing important stored on | | | | communications devices, there are many ways |
| their mobile | | | | to secure them. |
| | | | |
| device. Many of our customers initially | | | | So, I will stick to what I do to secure the |
| state there is | | | | above mentioned |
| | | | |
| nothing on the computer network that hackers | | | | devices since I happen to use both types.I |
| would want or a | | | | use 1GB USB 2.0 Jump Drive to store and |
| | | | transfer many |
| virus could irreparably damage.I want to | | | | |
| start out this article with a couple | | | | types of information. Sometimes, this |
| real-life | | | | includes confidential |
| | | | |
| stories about why it is so important to make | | | | information. For instance, when I travel, I |
| sure your | | | | have a copy of |
| | | | |
| mobile devices are secure.Panic Over Lost | | | | my account database on the device. However, |
| Jump-Drive | | | | the device |
| | | | |
| About a year ago, a business acquaintance | | | | file-system itself is heavily encrypted, and |
| contacted me in a | | | | the database |
| | | | |
| panic. Apparently, he was onsite performing | | | | stored on the encrypted file-system, is |
| an internal | | | | encrypted. If I |
| | | | |
| security audit for a rather large company, | | | | happen to misplace this device, I am more |
| and had lost or | | | | than confident (at |
| | | | |
| misplaced his keychain USB Jump-Drive. At | | | | least at this point time) that the data is |
| first, I was not | | | | protected and not |
| | | | |
| sure of why he was in such a panic. That is, | | | | easily accessible. Now, nothing substitutes |
| until he told | | | | for not carrying |
| | | | |
| me the drive contained approximately 300Mb | | | | around this type of information to begin |
| of security | | | | with, but it is |
| | | | |
| information minded from a previous security | | | | safer than carrying around a printout of the |
| audit he | | | | excel |
| | | | |
| performed. He was scared out of his wits | | | | spreadsheet you keep you passwords in.As far |
| that this | | | | mobile communications. I don't know what I |
| | | | would do |
| information would fall into the wrong hands, | | | | |
| not to mention | | | | without my mobile phone. It has replaced my |
| | | | PDA, has |
| the hands of his new client. What would his | | | | |
| new client think | | | | unlimited internet access, a VPN client so I |
| | | | can retrieve my |
| if they found he was walking around with | | | | |
| this information on | | | | mail without having to use a separate |
| | | | service (more $), a |
| a device that anyone4 could gain access too. | | | | |
| Would he do the | | | | 1GB storage card, camera and so on. The |
| | | | primary thing that |
| same thing with their information? Lucky, | | | | |
| after retracing | | | | this device stores that is confidential, is |
| | | | my contact list. |
| his steps in the building, he found on the | | | | |
| floor of the | | | | There are other items I don't want just |
| | | | anyone to have |
| men's room. He apparently pulled out his | | | | |
| keys and the | | | | access too as well. Not to mention using my |
| | | | phone (more $). |
| jump-drive came off the keychain. He no | | | | |
| longer carries his | | | | So, the storage card is encrypted, and that |
| | | | is where my |
| jump-drive around with him.Confidential | | | | |
| Client Information Lost In Snow Storm | | | | important data is kept. The device itself is |
| | | | password |
| On another occasion, someone quite close to | | | | |
| me, dropped his | | | | protected with and eight character key that |
| | | | meets or exceeds |
| Toshiba PDA somewhere between his car and | | | | |
| food store. Not to | | | | standard complexity rules. And, the mail |
| | | | client itself |
| big of a deal, except for the fact that | | | | |
| there was about one | | | | requires authentication in order to use |
| | | | it.Conclusion |
| foot of snow on the ground. He spent the | | | | |
| next three hours | | | | If you use mobile devices on a regular |
| | | | basis, I suggest you |
| drudging through the snow looking for the | | | | |
| PDA. Besides the | | | | sit down and think about exactly what you |
| | | | store on them. It |
| fact that it was not an inexpensive PDA, it | | | | |
| contained his | | | | is sometimes easy to overlook these things |
| | | | or under estimate |
| entire client list, personal online accounts | | | | |
| with user-id's | | | | exactly how private or confidential certain |
| | | | information is |
| and passwords, and several other categories | | | | |
| of highly | | | | or should be. Make sure you take reasonable |
| | | | steps to keep |
| confidential information.In both the cases | | | | |
| above, neither of these people had given | | | | the information stored on mobile devices |
| | | | secure and private. |
| much thought to the loss of these devices. | | | | |
| Why should they? | | | | It is definitely a balancing act between |
| | | | security and easy |
| They were both experienced professionals in | | | | |
| the information | | | | of use.And, what ever you do, don't leave |
| | | | your mobile device in the |
| technology business and very careful and | | | | |
| conscious about | | | | men's room.You may reprint or publish this |
| | | | article free of charge as long as |
| keeping information secure. The problem is, | | | | |
| their both | | | | the bylines are included. |