SECURE DATA MANAGEMENT & MOBILE DEVICES
Productivity, cloud storage, and automation are at the forefront of an organization’s technology needs. If we’re taking advantage of the tools available today, we are irreversibly tied to our mobile devices. We live in a world of Big Data. From location tracking to recommendations based on browsing habits, we’re all aware of the ever-growing swarm of information about who we are, what we’re doing, and forecasting what we’ll do next. In a world of data breaches, brand management nightmares, and litigation, forward-thinking organizations are taking action.
To protect against such threats, a secure data management process is essential for organizations of any size. Instilling security as a value in your organization by making it process-driven, developing a written policy that can be deployed company-wide, and reinforcing smart data management practices until they become habitual.
What do we do with our devices when they reach their end of life? What type of tracking is done to connect IT and Accounting departments to show a complete chain of custody? What level of detail is your first, second, or third touch vendors reporting with? Which individuals can physically reach unsecured data, and what clearances and protocols are in place to restrict access? These are all important questions that can be addressed with an established Secure Data Management Policy. See more here about taking your first steps to establish an effective policy for your business. Continue below as we address mobile devices.
Mobile devices almost exclusively use solid-state storage technology. Mobile phones, smartphones, memory chips, ultrabooks, and many new computers are equipped with solid-state tech.
And it’s only growing. The mobile market has continued to expand quickly, favoring SSD technology.
103 million SSDs sold in 2015
469 million HDDs sold in 2015
SSDs trending up: 32% increase in Q1 2016
HDDs trending down: 20% decrease in Q1 2016
Sources:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/10315/market-views-hdd-shipments-down-q1-2016
http://www.anandtech.com/show/10348/q1-2016-market-trends-ssds
HOW DOES YOUR COMPANY MANAGE SOLID STATE DEVICES?
Different technology necessitates different processes. As technology continues to evolve and depreciate on each side of the spectrum, firms that want to keep a competitive edge have to stay ever-vigilant and compliant with best practices to prevent a data breach.
Whether your company has a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program or leases Apple, Android, Windows, or Blackberry devices, there is no shortage of opportunities for a data breach, as each platform boasts its unique strengths and weaknesses.
Apple
With constant updates, Apple maintains an industry-renowned encryption technology. However, due to the internal structures of the platform, exploiting the iOS firmware can leave everything open and readily available to a data breach.
Android
With the huge spectrum of devices available on the Android platform, its equal parts slack space, and OS Kernel. However, it also suffers from significant temporary memory issues. From deleted files to contacts and text messages, your data is available for the taking.
Blackberry
Blackberry has an industry-leading encryption for its BBM messaging client. Unfortunately for corporations and consumers alike, that does not include locally stored data.
Cloud Storage
Although not explicitly a platform, data recovery, and forensics research studying mobile devices specifically show without question that corporations should walk before they run with secure management protocols in the cloud. From a corporate policy perspective, cloud applications can introduce multiple opportunities for data to leak into unauthorized hands.
PARITY FOR DEVICES IN VERSUS DEVICES OUT
A secure data management process should start when devices are received. Each device has its own unique serial identifier as well as an IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) to allow international tracking. Does your company have the policy to set a standardized password to its devices, change the password on a recurring, scheduled interval, and remove default passwords that come pre-installed with a device? If so, adding this additional level of individual device tracking is incredibly valuable to the firm from both a recovery perspective when reselling the devices and also from a heuristics perspective, as it maintains best practices for asset management, by providing a more solidified path for accounting and asset tracking. With 95% of data breaches showing physical asset management and human error as the weak link, physical asset tracking is the most important, and easiest component to implement, of a Secure Data Management Policy.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Mobile devices are a source of convenience and operational functionality for organizations today. However, they also open the door to a variety of security concerns. Policies regulating access credentials and tracking protocols are a critical first step in safeguarding data on mobile devices. Retiring mobile technology also requires special techniques to account for solid-state drives.
To find out more about how your business can implement security solutions for mobile device tracking, login clearances, and solid-state drive sanitization with Clarabyte’s software and services, contact a representative to schedule a demo.