Mobile Security: A Pocket Guide

A concise and practical guide to mobile security

This pocket guide gives you clear and reliable guidance on how to protect the information contained in your mobile phone.

Written by one of the country's top academic experts on information security, the guide covers such topics as safeguarding data through encryption, establishing a virtual private network (VPN) to create a secure way for your staff to connect to the server on a remote device, and countering the growing threat on mobile platforms of SMS-phishing and malware.

Rather than trying to ban the Blackberry, the solution proposed is for organisations to factor mobile devices into their overall information security policy.

The recommendations contained in this pocket guide are designed to enable your organisation to enjoy the benefits of mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) without sacrificing the ability to operate as safely and securely as possible.

The key themes tackled in this pocket guide are:

• The importance of mobile technologies
• Physical threats in the outside world
• Dealing with network connectivity
• Authenticating the user
• Mechanisms for protecting mobile data
• Attacks facing mobile devices and users
• The potential limitations of mobile security features.

Safeguard sensitive information

Use encryption to protect mobile security

With a mobile, data is often held on secure digital (SD) cards rather than in the device's onboard memory. By encrypting the data, you can prevent thieves from accessing the contents of your SD cards.

Define the boundries of mobile usage

Personal devices hold a lot of corporate data that simply should not be there in the first place. By setting up proper technical controls, you can regulate what material your staff are permitted to take out of the office on their mobile phones.

Viruses on mobile platforms

Attackers are taking an increasing interest in mobile platforms, so providing some level of anti-virus protection for handheld devices is increasingly recommended. With the anti-virus software on your desktop, you can connect up your mobile and give it a virus scan.

Forewarned is forearmed, and with the expert guidance contained in this pocket guide you can retain the advantages associated with this new technology while ensuring that your confidential information will stay confidential.