Are PDAs back-door security threats?
Are all those handheld devices your users keep dragging into the office the Next Big Security Threat? Or are they just smaller, less-capable versions of notebook computers that you can afford to pretty much ignore? Gartner Inc.’s Vice President of Mobile Computing Ken Dulaney argues that Palms, BlackBerry mobile e-mail devices and Web-enabled mobile phones are opening dangerous back doors into your corporate networks — and now is the time to start combating the threat. SearchSecurity columnist Robert L. Scheier asked Dulaney to outline the threat of personal digital assistants (PDAs) and Gartner’s recommended response. Q: Who buys and controls these devices — the company or the users? A: We don’t believe any employer has control over these devices. They’re too cheap; they’re too accessible. If they [the employer] think they’ve been able to control it, they just don’t know what’s going on. People see them in the store or get them as Christmas gifts. Q: Why is this a security threat? A
