Blackjacking

Chapter 1. Understanding the Threats

A phone is no longer a phone and a BlackBerry is no longer a BlackBerry. All of these devices now need to be considered enterprise mobile workstations. As such, they need to be protected like mobile workstations and contain the very same protections (and more) that are afforded to LAN‐based desktop workstations. Remember, these devices are on the front lines and they require in‐depth protection—not providing it would be ridiculous.

Take a moment to think about all of the sensitive information that can be contained on these devices. Emails, confidential documents, and contact information are commonly stored on mobile devices. Now think about how small these devices actually are and how easy it is to have them lost and stolen. Then, realize that lost and stolen devices are just the tip of the iceberg.

Another important realization is that mobile devices don't stop being used once the user enters the corporate office. These devices are routinely connected to PCs to be synched and to download or upload all types of data. What is protecting that data? What is protecting your PCs from these mobile devices? The truth of the matter is that the threats to mobile devices extend far beyond the obvious situation of a BlackBerry getting lost or stolen. Fortunately, these threats can be categorized.

Quantifying the Threat

Regardless of the type of device being used, the threats are pretty much the same. This goes for laptops and desktops, as well as for BlackBerrys, ...