Mobile Technologies

The past few years have seen an explosion in the range of devices used to wirelessly access the internet. In addition to forever altering the landscape for users, this revolution has had tremendous implications for network administrators and other computing professionals. Easy and frequent access to the internet arrives with a price: a marked increase in threats and vulnerabilities.

To ensure acceptable levels of security and privacy, policies must reflect the realities of the current situation. Now more than ever, users are bringing their own digital devices into the workplace and using them on enterprise networks. Rather than restricting users to a limited set of devices—an approach that inevitably results in reduced compliance—administrators must successfully anticipate and accommodate the various sets of challenges presented by the wide range of current and future options.

Complicating matters is the fact that there is no longer a clear distinction between personal and workplace devices. Today, it is infeasible to implement a policy that allows only company-owned devices to access internal networks, particularly since companies no longer issue cell phones and other mobile devices on a regular basis.

The attached resources provide some perspective by summarizing the recent past and the near future of mobile technologies. They also outline a general approach network experts should adopt to analyze and accommodate the rapid pace of change while protecting the assets of enterprises and their users.