The rise of bring your own device (BYOD) policies in corporate network environments has led to greater flexibility for employees, as well as lower infrastructure costs for businesses and government organizations. As with all changes in the way we work with and access data, BYOD policies have a range of security issues that IT departments must work to manage on an ongoing basis.
What’s at Stake
A December 2013 survey by the Ponemon Institute found that 63% of employees are now using tablets, smartphones and other devices as mobile endpoints — a number that is expected to continue rising by as much as 30% over the next three years.
User-controlled mobile endpoints and cloud databases have also proven to be highly exploitable by malware. They are increasingly the target of advanced persistent threat (APT) style attacks designed to illegally access sensitive or valuable data. Unfortunately, some of the most commonly used applications are also seen as the most vulnerable — the survey cited Adobe, Google Docs and Microsoft OS applications as the highest security risks.
Best Practices for Mobile Device Management
- Encryption and password control: IT security managers can require mobile devices to access cloud data or sensitive applications over a secure VPN, which not only encrypts data but also provides opportunities for SIEM logging and faster incident response. Requiring greater authentication — whether through traditional passwords or advanced biometrics — is another useful way of access control.
- Third party restriction apps: Third party software can contain keyloggers, backdoors and gateways that can expose and risk your data. Implementing policies that limit third-party software to signed apps — or ban it outright — can prevent compromise of your important data.
- Remote wiping and lost-phone protocols: Enabling remote wiping of smartphones and tablets gives IT security administrators an important tool for mitigating risk when a device is lost. Giving employees clear instructions for what to do when this happens is also important — this can include a dedicated hotline or other protocol for notifying IT directly.
- Geo-fencing: Many organizations have taken the step of using geo-fencing to limit access to sensitive data from mobile devices. This way, IT managers can forbid mobile devices from accessing certain data unless they are within a specific distance of the facility.
Mobile device management is an important security topic that will continue to be relevant as we fully enter the era of BYOD. Ultimately, your organization’s security posture will have to incorporate strong controls at the infrastructural and procedural levels in order to properly mitigate risks.
Read more information about data security best practices.
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