DeviceLock v2 19/12/08 13:07 Page 49
Security
800,000 were stolen from GAP and sensitive data following a new report ingredient of the strategy in managing
the UK Government saw a whopping by the Joint Committee on Humans the threat of data loss. Endpoint data
15 million individual records stolen in Rights. Its recent incidents of data security enables businesses to allow
20072. From these figures it’s clear loss were considered to be staff to carry sensitive data in laptops
that this type of threat does not focus “symptomatic of lax standards.” and USB sticks without making data
on any specific industry, it can happen access inflexible and protracted. And
to any organisation at any point. Many of the other large companies this is the balance that IT departments
that appear in the news who have are looking for.
And it’s not just your standard experienced an incident of data
Blackberry or USB stick that pose a leakage have undoubtedly already got The workforce demands easily
risk. Over 26,000 different USB a data security policy in place, just accessible data at the touch of a
products currently exist - from coffee like the government. But the fact is button, and the IT department would
warmers to network adaptors. And that a policy document buried in the ideally like sensitive data to be totally
these devices are to become more hard drive and a few well-placed secure - which would be impractical
sophisticated and more readily posters lecturing on the ‘enemy for modern working. Additional
available – there are already 10GB within’ are fairly pointless. Data loss is password authentication will help
appliance available in the shops for either on purpose or by accident, so control who accesses certain
under £30. there needs to be a concerted effort, systems, and endpoint security
through training and seminars, to software can secure the company’s
A survey of more than 1,000 UK convey the importance of data hardware from theft, or malicious
workers found that 60 per cent protection and the legal implications attack through a USB port.
admitted to theft of confidential of data theft.
documents, customer databases, The mobile devices that have become
business contacts or sales leads. Reduce and limit access to data so integral to our personal and
Sixty-three per cent said there were Restricting who can access what business lives are a reaction to the
no restrictions on using personal information can help to control the fact that our personal and working
portable devices such as USB movement of important data. The lives have become so much more
memory sticks in the workplace3. So easier data is to copy, the harder it is mobile over recent generations. Just
how do IT managers start to manage to control so, making sure that the as manufacturers have adapted to this
the security threats that are raised right levels of access are being shift with devices and gadgets that
from these devices? granted to the right people is help us run our busy lives it is
important. Encrypting data on mobile important that we adapt to protect the
Vulnerability assessment devices is also a useful measure. information that we now carry around
It is important to assess where the with us.
business is vulnerable. For some Controlling Data
companies it is often a certain group In the US, many companies do not It is not necessarily a struggle for IT
of employees that use mobile devices allow staff to enter the workplace with security to keep up with all these
on a regular basis, such as a sales personal devices that have storage gadgets and devices, but it is a
team. Pinpointing areas in the capacity. This is becoming an struggle for them to keep up with how
business such as this, where there is increasingly common way for we choose to use those items.
a much greater chance of hardware businesses to be proactive in Educating employees to try and alter
being lost or stolen for example, stopping employees from being their habits is vital as long as it
means that you can focus your plan of tempted to copy data onto their MP3 coincides with the implementation of
action accordingly. player or mobile phone. But it is not user friendly security measures such
failsafe. Investment in technical as endpoint security, two-factor
Policy controls in order to monitor and password authentication or even
The UK government has recently been prevent data being copied and printed James Bond style tracking technology
roundly criticised over its handling of without a trace should be the key for the most forgetful!
1. Research carried out by Trend Micro - 2008
2. From research carried out by Privacy Rights Clearhouse and The Wall Street Journal – 2007/08
3. Research carried out by Prefix IT - 2008
Winter 2008
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