Defeating Malicious Mobiles
By Lisa Phifer
Published April 2007; Posted August 2007

Abstract:

Business use of mobile devices has surged, spurred by improvements in processing, storage and connectivity. Smart phone sales tripled in 2005, doubling again just six months later. By November 2006, 49 percent of surveyed companies reported significant use of mobile devices to transmit business-critical data. IDC expects this trend to continue through 2009, when one-quarter of the global workforce will depend on mobile devices to conduct business. These new devices increase both business productivity and risk exposure. Yesterday’s handhelds were limited to contact management and short messaging. But today’s PDAs and smart phones are true mobile computers, connected with growing regularity and speed to corporate networks. Many run business applications like field service or sales force automation, while most routinely transmit business data, ranging from regulated customer records to intellectual property. Companies that fail to recognize this paradigm shift and assert IT control over mobile devices may be in for a nasty surprise. When it comes to gaining back-door access to corporate networks, unprotected PDAs and smart phones are low-hanging fruit, ripe for the picking.
 

About the author:

Lisa Phifer is an owner and principal consultant at Core Competence, a network security technology consulting firm based in Chester Springs, PA. A 25-year veteran of the networking industry, Lisa has been involved in mobile security since 1997.

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