The smartphone is now an indispensable part of business. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, what operating model you use or how many people work for you, mobiles rule. All that productivity can come at a cost. The more we do on our mobile devices, the more data is contained within them. Theft and loss brings a challenge that needs an entirely new mindset to manage. Here are some important security considerations for safer mobile working.
Data Not Device
Essentially, when you use mobile devices for business, you need to protect the data not just the device. While phones and tablets can be expensive, the data contained within them can be much more valuable. Valuable not just to you, but to competitors, thieves or anyone for whom information is currency. Consider mobile encryption with secure passwords to protect that data. BlackBerry comes with encryption options as standard. Other mobile phones can be encrypted relatively easily with third-party apps. Remote wiping is the procedure of last resort but can protect your data when nothing else has. By using a secure system link, a remote device such as a mobile phone can be wiped clean of private data within seconds.
Connectivity
The whole point of using a smartphone or tablet is that they let you be productive while on the move. That often includes connecting them to other devices or networks. Controlling Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and infra-red ports is essential if you want to keep your mobile devices secure. While Bluejacking is rare, it’s still a tool a hacker can use. Ensure all your connectivity is switched off at all times except when you’re using it. It saves your battery life too.
Secure Software
You will probably be more than aware that you need to protect your desktop machines and servers with antivirus and malware programs. You may also use software firewalls to complement your hardware one too. Unfortunately, you need to do the same for your mobile devices. The good news is that there are a number of reliable mobile security suites out there that offer the protection you need. A reliable antivirus program is the very least you should install on all your devices.
Police with Policy
All these mobile security solutions are nothing without a robust IT security policy that includes mobile. Policies should cover mixing personal with professional data, enforcing strong passwords, locking down connectivity, securing USB ports except for charging and safe and responsible use. An IT policy should ideally regard mobile in the same manner as other fixed assets. Used in conjunction with employee training and education, such a policy can do more good than all of these other points combined. While all this may look a little daunting, it is possible to protect your mobile devices without complicated in-house solutions. As a Vodafone Platinum Partner, Excalibur is eminently qualified to implement their class-leading Vodafone Secure Device Manager product. Vodafone Secure Device Manager enforces security, offers secure connections, enforces password protection, delivers encrypted data and can even provide remote wiping should the worst happen. It’s cheap too, so there’s no excuse to not protect yourself and your data. Contact Excalibur today if you would like to know more about protecting your mobile workforce!
