With new technology, businesses have the chance—and the necessity—to change their existing policies to fit the new tech landscape. One example of this is how offices approach the problem of lost or stolen mobile devices with work data on them. A trusted portal integration solution will give security managers a new framework to consider, and help them pay more attention to newer technological solutions.
Writing for CIO, Tom Kaneshige says that many businesses rely too heavily on the "remote wiping technique." Although the idea behind this policy (that companies can protect important information when property goes missing) is solid in theory, in reality it leads to conflicts and mistakes.
First of all, not all employees are really aware of the implications of a remote wipe or that that the company has the right to do this at all, despite technically consenting. If the worker has not signed a special BYOD agreement explicitly confirming that they understand the agreement between them, then there's the possibility for a lawsuit later on if something does happen.
What's more, Kaneshige writes that wiping data remotely isn't even that effective of a security measure anymore, since less of the information that would be interesting to a thief in the first place is even stored on the device proper.
"This practice seems to be somewhat dated in the era of cloud storage and tech savvy thieves," Kaneshige writes. "Today's thieves are quick to turn the stolen device off, put it into airplane mode or throw it in a special box or container that renders connectivity to the device impossible."
Instead of these methods, businesses should use a terminal emulation system that is already safe enough to protect against outside threats and reduce the risk of a device going missing.