Safekeep Your Palm Devices

As more laptops and mobile devices are used, the more likely that corporate security will be breached. How many times have you read about a government agency that has lost confidential data when one of its laptops was stolen? You’d be surprised at how many of these breaches are not reported — the problem is greater than you might expect.

This is why enterprises must invest in handheld security solutions. The ideal product combines support for multiple portable device types, protecting not just laptop computers but also handheld devices like BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Palm, Symbian, and even iPhone. The more device types supported, the better.

Consider portable security software that support a wide variety of features:

• Encryption of data to keep on-device data safe
• Locking of the device via password
• Centralized management and control of all devices
• Remote wiping of a device when lost or stolen
• Firewall and antivirus support to protect the user from viruses and other problems
• Enforcement of corporate security policies

Not everyone who uses a laptop or a mobile device understands the need for security, so it’s important to educate employees about why security is important and what they must do to help the business keep its data safe. Laptop computers are stolen every day from cars, hotel rooms, coffee shops and airports. Even though most thieves have no interest in company data, it puts everything you do at risk and can cause you grief with government agencies in certain industries. It’s much less expensive to deal with these security problems proactively.

You should also worry about personal mobile devices. Many employees use these devices throughout the work day and important and private corporate information may end up on these devices without your knowledge. A flexible policy on dealing with these devices and letting employees secure them with your support is better and safer in the long run, which is where the right mobile enterprise software makes it all possible.