Executive Summary: iPad Security Meets Corporate Security

Corporate espionage is becoming an increasingly alarming threat to companies around the world. Many foreign firms, with or without the support of their home government, are actively looking to acquire the trade secrets, corporate strategy, and intellectual property of their competitors. These activities present many new challenges to corporate security professionals. Due to the proliferation of sensitive corporate information stored on iPads, tablets, and wireless devices, the risk of a data breach has multiplied.

Given the dispersion of sensitive corporate information across many people and devices, it is essential that employees understand how to maintain the security of iPads, tablets, and other wireless systems. Proper education and training can help ensure that a proper corporate security posture is maintained.

3  Tips of iPad Security for Corporate Security Professionals

The IMG Group (http://www.theimg.com/) is issueing three tips on security for the Apple iPad. Taking simple steps such as these can substantially reduce the risk of a corporate security breach. Although these tips are specific to the Apple iPad, much of the guidance is applicable to other wireless devices as well.

iPad Security Tip 1: Back to Basics

Proper iPad security requires strong security passcodes. This should be common sense to anyone familiar with basic computer security. Yet, this safeguard is too often ignored on wireless devices. This is unfortunate because passcodes are an easy security measure to implement and secure a device in two distinct ways. In addition to making it harder to access, enabling iPad passcodes also activates data encryption. This significantly increases the security integrity of the data on the iPad.

iPad Security Tip 2: Enable Find My iPad

As many Apple iPad owners know, tablets can be easy to lose or misplace. The theft of tablets and wireless devices is becoming increasingly common. If sensitive data is on the lost iPad, then the theft can be considerably more damaging. That is why users should enable the “Find My iPad” feature. This utility allows the user to locate a lost or stolen iPad through their iCloud account. Unfortunately, many criminals know how to turn this feature off and will do so immediately after theft. However, what many do not know is that users can prevent thieves from doing this by enabling a universally available restriction. When this restriction is on, the thief cannot turn off “Find my iPad” without a passcode. Enabling this restriction is relatively easy. See how at Apple’s website: http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2697

iPad Security Tip 3: Watch your Wireless

Another mobile device vulnerability is the threat of unsecured wireless networks. Although wireless devices are readily available at many coffee shops, airports, and stores, they are often inadequately secured. If possible, unsecured wireless hotspots should be avoided. Additionally, individuals should try to connect to wireless hotspots through encryption whenever possible. WPA-2 encryption is the most secure encryption commonly available, while WEP is generally considered to be the least secure form of wireless encryption. For true security, however, individuals should consider using a VPN to connect between the iPad and a wireless network. Many easy-to-use VPN apps for the iPad are available at the Apple App store. Additionally, many IT sections have the ability to create their own VPNs.

Conclusion

As the information age moves ahead, the security of Apple iPads, tablets, and other wireless devices will become an increasingly important component of corporate security. Given the sensitive information housed on these devices, it is imperative that firms implement the appropriate policies and training requirements. In this way, sound iPad security can help ensure sound corporate security.

In addition to defensive measures, firms can take a proactive role against technical surveillance by implementing technical surveillance countermeasures. To learn more about IMGs experience with technical surveillance countermeasures go to: http://www.theimg.com/technical-surveillance-countermeasures.html

About the IMG Group

The Incident Management Group is a leading international travel security firm. Corporate or business organizations concerned about their need for detailed and robust travel security planning can reach out to the IMG Group for assistance. The company’s expert security consultants provide services such as executive, employee, VIP, and expatriate travel security, risk and threat assessments, workplace violence prevention, crisis management planning, and more.

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