Here’s a nightmare scenario. You take your work laptop on a business trip because you need to work on an important client project. On your way back, you leave the device on the train. All the sensitive data you were handling could be at the disposal of a stranger. While it’s possible they’ll hand in the device to the authorities, it’s also plausible someone will steal the device and attempt to destroy or manipulate the data on your laptop, potentially even destabilizing your company’s entire network.
Sadly, these situations do occur, which is why it’s important to be prepared and vigilant. The Breach Level Index revealed there were almost 1.4 billion records compromised in 2016, a remarkable 86% increase compared to 2015. Wouldn’t it be great if there was some way of identifying lost devices, tracking what information has been accessed and immediately obliterating the sensitive data? That way you could manage the impact of personal credentials and client data falling into the wrong hands.
We’re proud to say we teamed up with the mobile data security specialist, ExactTrak, to develop a robust security mechanism that can be easily integrated with electronic devices. The Security Guardian can be used as a USB device, allowing users to simply plug it into their laptops or tablets, or be embedded in computer processors. Not dissimilar to many of the telematics products developed for cars, just swapping OBD for USB!
Delivering this kind of security needs both physical and software components, to make it difficult to tamper with, and also requires advanced encryption to ward off hackers. A Cinterion Wireless Module delivers constant connectivity and allows devices to be securely controlled remotely. To give you more of an idea about how it works, check out the example below:
- People log on to a secure cloud-based portal
- They quickly identify and locate the device
- They can “turn off” data anywhere in the world, or destroy it if necessary
- They can use the GeoZone feature to strictly control access to information
This approach is a great way of adding an extra layer of security in the age of flexible working. With employees handling sensitive data on mobiles, tablets and laptops away from the office, companies need to be prepared to invest in intelligent solutions. They should be able to identify threats and eliminate any possibility of private information falling into the wrong hands.
You can read more about our enterprise security strategies and solutions here. Are you confident with your mobile device security? Let us know your thoughts and concerns by posting in the comment section or tweeting to us at @Gemalto.
