Smartphones Create Security Conundrum For IT Staff
The rapid shedding of BlackBerry devices in favor of Android devices, iPhones and iPads isn’t just a hassle for RIM- corporate IT departments are struggling to cover their security derrieres as employees increasingly go off the reservation to use their own devices for work-related reasons.
Most mid and high-level staff are tied to their handset of choice 24/7, so it makes sense that they’d push en masse to use whichever device they feel most comfortable with for sending late night emails and previewing files. But the increasingly populated market for smart devices not only allows for more consumer choice- it also presents new security risks.
The IT head at Reuters spoke to Network World about some of the issues faced in corporate settings as many converted users insist upon Android or iPhone settings:
“We’re struggling to get our arms around it,” says Tim Mathias, senior director of IT security at Thomson Reuters, whose 55,000 employees worldwide provide news, business information and technology related to financial, media and healthcare. He adds: “It’s a struggle with a technology created for individuals that’s ended up being an important tool for the workplace.”
Not every corporate setting embraces the trend, with one party citing “risk appetite” on the part of the company as a factor in allowing handset choice. Another said it encourages too much goofing off, essentially:
“Our position is you shouldn’t be mixing your personal devices with corporate devices for a variety of reasons,” says Ken Goldstein, vice president at insurance company Chubb. “There’s the potential for business-related information to be compromised.”
Have you successfully managed to leave the BlackBerry behind in a corporate setting? Which device did you choose, and do you worry about security?
