New security practices for a data-centric world
The amount of data that a company now generates on a day-to-day basis is growing at a breakneck pace. According to a 2010 study by IDC and EMC, the so-called digital universe doubles in size every two years. By 2020, the world will generate roughly 50 times the amount of data that it did in 2011. That equals about 90 zettabytes, which is nothing to shake a stick at.
At the same time, much of this information is coming from unstructured sources, like video and social media. Such data holds valuable potential, but it is only effective if a company knows how to handle it properly.
Protecting your network in the Age of BYOD
The bring-your-own-device movement that has emerged in recent years is, for the IT department, kind of like eating brussel sprouts for the first time. You know it’s good for you, and on some level, you even enjoy it. Ultimately, though, it’s unfamiliar territory that you might not be enthusiastic to gobble up.
But unlike brussel sprouts there is legitimate reason to be concerned when it comes to BYOD.
Dawn of a new era
Just a few years ago, BlackBerry ruled the roost of enterprise mobility. Everybody who was anybody had one of these smartphones – which, by today’s standards, were not all that smart. Sure, they allowed you to check email and browse some version of the web. But they lacked the robust apps and appeal of today’s idea of the smartphone. What they might have lacked in functionality, however, they made up for in other areas.
Developing Acceptable Use Policies and Mobile Security Policies
The rapid deployment and adoption of mobile devices has led to a very real need for Acceptable Use Policies and Mobile Security Policies. In my first blog post in this series, I will be discussing key points in developing policies around mobile devices and will give specific examples of language that I have seen used in employee communication of these policies.
Consider the enforcement
Any policy written isn’t fully useful if it isn’t enforced and reiterated. All users should know the policies upon hire. Also, keeping the policies relevant by communicating them on a regular basis is important. These policies should be treated the same way that HR policies are developed and referenced.
What to Consider when Building a BYOD Strategy
In my last blog, I touched on the first part of crafting a BYOD program: define your goals, assess your risk tolerance, and identify the key stakeholders in your program’s development.
The next step? Build your strategy. Here are a few things to consider:
Determine who will be allowed to bring their own devices
Many companies choose to slow roll BYOD, enabling only certain groups of employees in the first round and then opening it up to more employees at a later date. This allows them to test the waters before they dive right in.
Bye-bye $200K Cell Phone Bill
OMG was my first reaction when I read an article about a man ringing up a $200K cell phone bill. The man is deaf and mute. He uses his cell phone as his primary way of communicating. He didn’t know about roaming charges and got hit for roaming on 2000 text messages and countless video downloads. Here is the article for your reference.
So think about the liabilities companies face today with employees using their corporate or employee-owned mobile devices for both work and personal use. Many companies pay for their employees’ mobile phone usage charges, how do they protect themselves from misuse or abuse and ultimately limit their financial exposure?
The cloud and MDM: Helping businesses help themselves
For businesses, mobility is the gold rush of today, with many looking to get smartphones into the hands of their employees as quickly as possible. By now, we’ve all heard about the inevitable risks of consumerization of IT, and the importance of mobile device management to get the most value out of enterprise mobility.
So now, businesses are preparing for the technology, putting most of their efforts toward weighing their options on smartphones. Sure, mobile device management is a consideration, and many believe that as long as they have any MDM solution in place, they’ve covered all the bases.
VDI for a Globally Available Virtual Workforce
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is taking precedence in the enterprise more than ever. The cost benefits of large deployments are hard to overlook. Why are we seeing such a slow adoption rate? I believe there are 3 key factors slowing the momentum.
- VDI technology is still hindered by bandwidth delay. Working on a LAN is extremely usable for the average employee. The speeds of processing and usability are near real-time with the latest thin clients. Recently, we can include streamed HD graphics and content to benefit developers. Over a WAN or open Internet is a different story, and there are still large gaps in usability in this architecture. It is improving everyday and more and more people are starting to tackle the problems.
The Security Side of Mobile Device Management
Previously, Ben had blogged about Why Mobile Device Management (MDM) is necessary for today’s enterprises. Today, I would like to touch on how to secure mobile devices. The main two components of securing mobile devices are 1) securing the connection between the mobile device and the corporate network, and 2) securing the device itself.
Securing the Connection
There are several ways to secure the connection to the corporate network while providing seamless access from any device, anywhere.