Unsecured Handhelds a Risk to Businesses and Individuals

[Jason Dunn]

http://www.brighthand.com/article/U...andhelds_A_Risk

"Though personal handhelds have long been used in offices, a recent survey shows that a large majority of them contain a significant amount of business-related information. What makes IT managers break out into a cold sweat is the thought that most handheld users simply do not secure the information on their device, despite numerous applications being available to do this.

The second annual PDA Usage Survey, which was conducted in the U.K. for Pointsec Mobile Technologies by Infosecurity Europe and Computer Weekly, revealed that 85% of handheld users keep company-related events on their handheld's calendar. And 80% keep business names and addresses in it. This is a higher percentage than enter their friends and family into their handheld's address book."

[Jason Dunn]

http://www.brighthand.com/article/U...andhelds_A_Risk

"Though personal handhelds have long been used in offices, a recent survey shows that a large majority of them contain a significant amount of business-related information. What makes IT managers break out into a cold sweat is the thought that most handheld users simply do not secure the information on their device, despite numerous applications being available to do this.

The second annual PDA Usage Survey, which was conducted in the U.K. for Pointsec Mobile Technologies by Infosecurity Europe and Computer Weekly, revealed that 85% of handheld users keep company-related events on their handheld's calendar. And 80% keep business names and addresses in it. This is a higher percentage than enter their friends and family into their handheld's address book."

[Ed Hansberry]

Still no answer to this.

Both Palm OS and Pocket PC devices have basic password protection. What's an open secret in the industry is that this can be broken with relative ease.

Maybe someone here can define "relative ease" when it comes to breaking the device lock on PPC devices. This must be an easy one, as it is an open secret.

[someppcuser]

What's even scarier is that one does not need to steal the device anymore. With all those new bluetooth and wifi enabled devices, it's a child's play to intercept or steal sensitive data (kind of like when Apple implemented Airport into its computers)

[Peter Foot]

Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry

Still no answer to this.

Maybe someone here can define "relative ease" when it comes to breaking the device lock on PPC devices. This must be an easy one, as it is an open secret.

I think the answer to that is simple - the research is carried out by a security company. They are unlikely to substantiate this claim but will happily sell you their security software to plug this alleged gap...

[Kati Compton]

Well, there is this thread.

[Ed Hansberry]

Originally Posted by Kati 'kati42' Compton

Well, there is this thread.

Well, let me clarify. What is "relatively simple" besides tricking a user into installing a non-supported piece of software that bypasses security? I think Peter nailed it.

[WyattEarp]

I find this very interesting since the daytimer and address book as been around much longer and no one has complained about these items in such a way. People have always carried such information around with them. Now IT personnel get the shakes over PDAs with business information in it. I'd be more worried about losing my phonebook, and notes than my PDA. If a PDA is lost the average person won't know what to do with it anyway. Plus without a way to recharge it will just run out of power and become useless.

Did they take account that no two people keep notes and info in the same way or even in a logical way that some one else will automatically understand by just looking at the file name. Even with Bluetooth and Wifi a person would have to know exactly what they are looking for, who's device they are looking at and have the time to find it. Surveys like this just amaze me.

[Jeff Rutledge]

Originally Posted by WyattEarp

I find this very interesting since the daytimer and address book as been around much longer and no one has complained about these items in such a way. People have always carried such information around with them. Now IT personnel get the shakes over PDAs with business information in it. I'd be more worried about losing my phonebook, and notes than my PDA. If a PDA is lost the average person won't know what to do with it anyway. Plus without a way to recharge it will just run out of power and become useless.

Did they take account that no two people keep notes and info in the same way or even in a logical way that some one else will automatically understand by just looking at the file name. Even with Bluetooth and Wifi a person would have to know exactly what they are looking for, who's device they are looking at and have the time to find it. Surveys like this just amaze me.

Good points all. It made me think of that movie a ways back with (I think) Jim Belushi and Charles Grodin where an executives' identity was stolen when his Daytimer was lifted. At least PDA's have some level of protection.

As someone who used to work in IT Support, I'd rather see these folks in a huff over people who leave their passwords on sticky's on their monitor or give it to a co-worker so they can log in if they need to while on vacation.

Crazy...

[sponge]

In other news, allowing physical access to any important data (PCs, laptops, PDAs) usually means you = screwed.

[someppcuser]

Agreed