I've just come across an interesting piece on the BCS web site when Martin Allen is advocating that all employees in the organisation should employ encryption when copying data onto a mobile device, whatever that may be (not just the notebook or PDA, but also the USB stick or MP3 player). Those of us in corporate IT have a huge educational challenge in front of us to get the message across about data security. IMHO encryption tools are going to have to become as ubiquitous as anti virus software is today. Until sys admins commonly deploy the tools that make it happen without the end user having to think too hard about what they are doing, it will be down to the end user and those focused on corporate security who will keep data secure.
Now call me cynical but Martin Allen is MD of a vendor supplying products aimed at increasing the security of mobile devices and removable media. Is he just stirring up hype, feeding us FUD or is there really a need for these products? Is everyone carrying corporate databases in their pockets or are they just happy in their work? You tell me!
Now I'm off to balance my accounts...
...where did I leave that USB stick?