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TMO Reports - Gartner: iPod, Portable Devices a Corporate Security Risk

by , 5:00 PM EDT, July 7th, 2004

Companies should consider banning portable storage devices such as Apple's iPod from corporate personal computers because they can spread viruses or steal critical corporate data, according to the research company Gartner, Inc.

The report, obtained by The Mac Observer and issued this week, does not recommend outright the banning of such devices from office environments, but does make it clear that portable USB and FireWire-based products open up businesses to a whole range of risks and that the protection of sensitive information is more important than ever.

The report points out the wide range of such portable devices, including smart media cards, memory sticks, compact flash, keychain drives as well as portable MP3 players. Small portable storage products can bypass perimeter defenses like firewalls and introduce malware such as Trojans or viruses onto company networks, said the report.

"Companies are at risk of losing intellectual property and other critical corporate data," the report said. "Portable storage devices are ideal for anyone intending to steal sensitive and valuable data. Employees may also be responsible for losing data if they inadvertently mislay these devices."

Gartner recommends companies "forbid the use of uncontrolled, privately owned devices with corporate PCs." In addition, the company suggests the adoption of "personal firewalls to limit activity on USB ports", investigate products that can control ports selectively, and "consider employing mobile data protection products to encrypt corporate or sensitive data."

The report ends by telling businesses that they "must ensure that the right procedures and technologies are adopted to securely manage the use of portable storage devices like USB 'keychain' drives. This will help to limit damage from malicious code, loss of proprietary information or intellectual property, and consequent lawsuits and loss of reputation."

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
View Name:Guest
Subject: At HP you can't even have a cell phone!
Close Name:Donut Posts: 15 Joined: 06 May 2004
Subject: duh

from the "duh" department.

so you are saying that people who bring in virtually unlimited storage devices in their pockets are a risk for data theft? say it ain't so.

we can't bring any recordable media, cameras, or even have cassette recorders (or cell phones).

blah blah, nothing to see here.

Close Name:Alphax Posts: 3182 Joined: 13 Sep 2002
Subject: Nothing new

When I worked a short job last year for the IRS, I was careful to ask before bringing my iPod in to listen to. They didn't care, and I wasn't near a computer anyway, but this was the sort of place with about every square foot of floor space was under camera surveillance.

Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 3013 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject: ummm....

Let's see...they make USB drives that look like pens and watches and have a significant download (or upload) capacity, and they are picking on the iPod (by name, btw.)....

If employees are going to steal information from a company, banning iPods isn't going to stop it, or even slow it down. There is the floppy disk, burning CDs, or just printing the stuff or photocopying. Or, if you want to go really hi-tech, attaching a collar to the monitor cable and transmitting the screen to be received elsewhere (and it doesn't take much to do that, btw. Anybody remember TEMPEST?)

Malicious attacks at the hardware level are very difficult to stop. The methods suggested by Gartner will also cause a great deal of heartburn with most corporate users. It is treating them all like criminals, which doesn't generally go over well. And it is nigh impossible with laptop users.

View Name:Guest
Subject: Laptopping...
Close Name:DawnTreader -   TMO Staff Posts: 14506 Joined: 04 Jan 2002
Subject:

Nice way to make copy and grab a headline. A greater security risk than a bored employee surfing the 'Net and visiting questionable site loaded with spyware, trojan horses, etc.? I don't think so.

How many organizations provide employees with a CD burner on their PC and a USB port that will handle a flash memory backup device?

Just another way to grab a headline.

Knowing human nature, banning iPods from the workplace will only increase the attraction and consumer demand.

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