SECURITY FOR THE MIDMARKET
Mobile security devices: Simple steps for SMBs
Joel Dubin, CISSP, Contributor
07.13.2006
Rating: -3.97- (out of 5)
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Mobile devices have made securing organizations more challenging than ever. Computer networks are no longer confined to the office, even at small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). However, SMBs can prevent and protect against mobile security vulnerabilities, even without a dedicated information security team. Existing IT and network staffs can follow these easy guidelines without increasing their workloads. The best practices listed below involve tweaks to systems and monitoring of networks, which you may already be doing. If not, add them to your daily routine and you'll be on your way to securing and protecting your mobile devices.
There are different steps to take when securing mobile devices, depending on the type of device you have. USB keys and wireless access points (WAPs) are two very different creatures. What works for one may not work for the other.
No matter the device, the first step is to have a written security policy prohibiting employees from installing and using nonstandard equipment. Nonstandard means anything not purchased, approved, scanned, built or reviewed by your IT department. This includes devices such as the latest WAP or mobile gizmo that an employee buys on his own.
Securing USBs
For devices that provide direct physical access, such as USB keys and tokens, or iPod
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s, which are overgrown USB devices, there are equally effective physical controls for blocking access. Some of these controls are already baked into Windows and can be easily turned on by any system administrator.
Securing laptops
The time is long gone when an SMB's computer network was confined to the office. Now, it's wired -- and unwired -- to the world, for good or bad.
Securing WAPs
Wireless devices can be particularly insidious, since they can sit unnoticed under a desk for a long time, spewing data out to the world and doing all kinds of damage. USB devices, on the other hand, are usually put in and taken out quickly.
Confidential data walking out the door is scary for any organization. For SMBs without a dedicated information security staff, data loss can be fatal. Large organizations may take a hit in the press, lose prestige and business, or even be sued, but they have the corporate bulk to eventually survive. SMBs can lose their entire business -- and livelihood. Follow the simple steps above and you'll be much less vulnerable.
Joel Dubin, CISSP, is an independent computer security consultant in Chicago. He is a Microsoft MVP in security, specializing in Web and application security, and the author of The Little Black Book of Computer Security, available from Amazon.
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