Hackers: new targets
Date: October 18, 2005Source: commsdesign.com
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There was a time when the biggest mobile computing risk was losing a laptop. How quickly things change. Cell phones, smart phones, and PDAs increasingly are being used to access business applications, E--mail, and the Internet. In sync with that trend are new security threats to mobile devices that store and distribute company information.
They're becoming victims of zombie attacks and other forms of hacking; malware; hybrid PC--mobile viruses like Comwarrior, Bluejacking, and Cabir; and spam. And for the first time, many businesses are finding they need plans for securing mobile devices, including what methods to use and rules for how devices can be used.
"Putting together policies and procedures to add security for a device ... is becoming a real challenge," said Larry Hardin, senior manager of communications in the IT group at food--service distributor Sysco Corp., during a session at last week's Mobile Business Expo in Chicago. The issue has come to a head at Sysco, Hardin said, as more traveling salespeople start using devices other than laptops. For easier management, Sysco requires that employees use only company--distributed mobile devices for work and has developed service--level agreements with all its wireless vendors.
Partners In Security
Securing E--mail was the motivation behind a partnership between Research In Motion Ltd., maker of the BlackBerry, and security software vendor PGP Corp. The companies last week unveiled PGP Support Package, due later this year, which is designed to provide encryption, decryption, digital signatures, and verification for E--mail sent and received on BlackBerry devices.
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