Tablet Computing

An Interesting Way to Address the BYOD Problem

Michael Osterman — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:51:42 +0000

I had an interesting discussion last week with AirPatrol, a company coming out of stealth mode, with regard to their solution to address the BYOD problem. Their approach, which they call “Cognitive Mobile Security,” uses location sensors installed within a building that can track mobile devices to an accuracy of 20 centimeters—accurate enough to identify whether a mobile device is in your shirt pocket or pants pocket.

AirPatrol’s Zone Defense solution is conceptually quite simple: location sensors, each of which can cover about 2,200 square feet, are deployed within a building (a minimum of three sensors are required per space for triangulation purposes). These sensors provide continuous monitoring of all Wi-Fi- and cellular-enabled devices within their detection area, updating the location of each device about every three seconds. Through a single console, all devices can be monitored in real time, providing MAC addresses, association states and other information about each device.

If a device requests access to the corporate network, an agent is first downloaded to the device with the owner’s permission. If an unauthorized/agentless device is active within the monitored space, Zone Defense will alert the security team or other monitors to warn them of the potential security threat.

Once the agent is active on the device, location-based security policies will be enforced that can enable or disable certain features of the device. For example, if a particular room with sensitive information is defined as an area in which mobile device cameras and microphones should not be enabled, any device entering that zone will automatically have its camera and microphone disabled until it leaves that zone, although all other functions of the device will continue to operate normally. Moreover, the policy can be granular in that certain roles can have functions in a particular zone enabled, while other roles, such as visitors or consultants, can have functions in the same zone disabled.

AirPatrol’s solution, while requiring an agent on the device, is an elegant approach to the BYOD problem because it permits employees and others to use their devices, but with full knowledge and control of the organization’s security or other teams. It can prevent users from accessing the Internet via Wi-Fi or cellular connections during certain hours while connected to the corporate network to prevent security breaches, for example, while re-enabling Internet connectivity once the user has disconnected from the corporate network.

Although the US government is a significant customer of AirPatrol, banks, hedge funds and others are among the company’s customers.

BYOD Deluge, Get Ahead of Holiday Device Rush

Stephanie Jordan — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:30:51 +0000

Bring your own device (BYOD) has changed the IT landscape, and some companies are handling the new world better than others. This week I came across a November blog from Sheila Jordan, senior vice president of the Communication and Collaboration IT organization for Cisco, that shares how Cisco handles mobility.

With the love of devices only growing stronger and new models and products arriving in time for the holidays, Jordan (no relation) gives six steps in the Cisco policy and practices for managing the mobile devices that have permeated the workplace. A few gems stood out.

More Access. More Security.

“The more network access the user wants, the more security we apply to the device,” writes Jordan. She also says Cisco IT has the right to wipe a device if it is lost or stolen.

Create An App Center

Jordan says Cisco offers employees an easy way to access apps and services that can simplify business processes and increase productivity. “Consider creating your own app center where you can house a combination of your own and third-party applications. The corporate store will give employees easy access to Cisco-recommended applications–so they can submit business trip expenses from an airport, take a Jabber video call from the sidelines of a soccer game, or continue that WebEx meeting as they shift from one location to another.” Jordan is quick to point out that the corporate app store is not the only employee-accessible app repository and the intention is not to micromanage the employees.

Get Ahead of the Hype

Around the holidays, Jordan notes, many employees will receive “shiny new devices as gifts, so we proactively email instructions to ease the device-setup experience” She says this is to allow Cisco to avoid overtaxing its global IT support team, which operates with a skeleton crew during the holiday break. Similarly, when a new device will be making a debut, Jordan says Cisco sends communications to employees BEFORE the device is on the shelf. “Our IT team created a series of communications to share with employees as soon as the official announcement [for Apple iPhone 5] hit,” reveals Jordan. “The communication addressed common questions including how to order and provision new iPhone 5s. As a result, we were able to painlessly add 2,500 of them onto the corporate network within three weeks.”

Speaking of Apple’s iPhones, there appears to be a shift in mobile preferences happening. A recent trending report from Zscaler ThreatLabZ shows “current Android use at 45.23 percent and iOS at 49.6 percent (compared to 36.88 percent and 55.36 percent respectively in Q2), the gap between the two continued to narrow—decreasing by 76 percent this quarter over last. Accounting for that gap, Android use increased by 22 percent over Q2, and iOS decreased by 10 percent.”

Jordan’s full six steps blog, even with a few Cisco product plugs, is a quick, yet insightful read.

Hijacked Email Account Detection

Stephanie Jordan — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 07:01:31 +0000

One of the outcomes of spammers and phishers becoming craftier is the development of tools to keep an eye on network traffic scanning for unusual activity. Intrusion protection systems and intrusion detection systems, once novel are becoming more commonplace. This month, Alt-N Technologies, Ltd. announced the immediate availability of MDaemon Messaging Server 13—the latest version of its low cost Windows-based email and messaging server. Built directly into the product, and among the most customer-requested new features is hijacked email account detection.

As filters and other methods of stopping unwanted email get better, spamming and phishing techniques have continued to evolve to evade detection. In the past few years, spammers and phishers have very fruitfully hacked into email accounts and taken advantage of trusted email addresses captured directly from a user’s address book. How many of us have received an email message from a friend or relative supposedly traveling abroad and stranded? Having received a couple of those myself, if I had not known better, I might have fallen for the tactic. The chances of a relationship between those listed in a contact address list and being accepted as a trusted sender directly into another’s inbox is high. The tactic has been working successfully for several years and IT administrators are looking for ways to put a stop to the practice.

According to Kevin Beatty, vice president of marketing and business development for Alt-N Technologies, MDaemon’s Hijacked Account Detect and Disable feature will detect, disable, and notify an IT administrator of email accounts that send too many messages in a given timeframe.

“It is technically different from an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) in that an IDS function is to identify possible incidents, log information about them, and reporting attempts to a management station,” explains Beatty. “MDaemon’s feature is analogous to IDSes but it also executes the most critical step for a company: disabling an account from sending traffic that could result in a customer’s domain being blacklisted. Once the IT administrator has had the opportunity to review the account, it can be released and email traffic can resume.”

Beatty does add that as with all best practices for messaging and network security, a layered approach consisting of multiple facets to address and prevent security threats continues to be recommended.

The need for a hijacked email account detection feature is a reflection on the prevalence of the problem and a key truth: a majority of the time people do not know that their account has been hijacked. In its 2011 State of Hacked Accounts [PDF] published by Commtouch, the authors found that less than one-third of users noticed that their accounts were compromised (with over 50 percent relying on others to identify account anomalies) and 15 percent of users believing their credentials were stolen after using a public kiosk or WiFi network.

“We do have some customers using third-party solutions,” acknowledges Beatty, “but to maintain Alt-N’s goal of making MDaemon simple for the customer to manage and maintain, adding the feature within the product [user interface] just made sense. Surprisingly, the easiest way to prevent an account from being hijacked is through strong password policy enforcement. However, the IT Admins can’t always easily ensure users are following the policy and practices vary across business size and markets.”

Since its original introduction, MDaemon is looked upon as a lower cost alternative to Microsoft Exchange and Small Business Server (SBS). “The main point I stress with SMBs and the channel that serves them is to ensure that the solution match the true needs of the customer,” says Beatty. “MDaemon has been successful since 1996 because we have focused on the principles of affordability, quality, and flexibility. We have always been focused on the needs of the SMB market. Many channel partners have added MDaemon to their Exchange portfolio to satisfy customers when cost is a key driver.”

The user community largely drives MDaemon’s feature set. Another highly requested feature that reflects today’s bring your own device (BYOD) trend is a single interface to manage the growing BYOD environments typical of SMB/SMEs. Smartphones and tablets that run Android, iOS, Windows and BlackBerry can be managed from a single user interface within MDaemon’s console or via its remote administration screen (WebAdmin).

“There are many mobile device management solutions on the market that perform many functions from inventory control to policy enforcement across the various device platforms,” observes Beatty. “What Alt-N has heard from its customers is true to every feature we have put in our email server over the past 15 years: ‘please make it simple for us to manage and maintain’.”

Beatty goes on to say that the latest MDaemon includes ActiveSync support, “so now all devices (smartphone and tablet) can be managed from a console within MDaemon or its remote management web interface. But unlike many MDM solutions that provide an extensive set of features geared toward the enterprise, we have focused on what our customer said was the most important for SMBs: remote wipe, password policies, device locking.”

Other enhancements in this month’s release of MDaemon 13 include:

Document sharing from MDaemon’s web mail that provides a central repository for documents to be accessed and shared by designated users.
A public folder ticketing system that allows users to quickly communicate with the sales or technical support team of the host to request help with any issues that may arise.
Improved performance in low bandwidth environments via IMAP COMPRESS.
The ability for Administrators to view traffic and mailbox performance to gain a graphical view of basic email patterns, top users and other key stats.
A drag and drop email attachment feature that allows users to select multiple files and attach them to a web mail message.

Of the new release, Beatty concludes, “Our goal is for prospective customers to add MDaemon to their list of potential messaging servers. We’re confident that when compared to their current solution, they will quickly discover it meets their needs in terms of features and total cost of ownership.”

Real World Solutions for Enterprise Grade, Secure Mobile File Sharing--Allens Linklater and Accellion

Stephanie Jordan — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 01:07:27 +0000

The Challenge

Today’s smartphones and tablet business users need to be able to collaborate and view different file types, edit and share files from a secure, encrypted location.

The Solution

Accellion Mobile Apps for Apple iOS (iPhone and iPad), BlackBerry, and Android devices deliver a superior alternative to cumbersome browser-based apps. Once users have downloaded the mobile application, they can simply login and begin browsing their workspace to find and view relevant content using a simple, intuitive interface. With the right privileges, users have the flexibility to edit a file either online or download the encrypted file for offline use (without a wifi or data connection), and then upload the edited file back to the Accellion Secure Workspace.

The Customer Rave

“We could have easily allowed employees to use consumer grade solutions that, on the surface, would have gotten the job done,” comments Shawn Schmidt, Infrastructure Manager with Allens Linklater (formerly Allens Arthur Robinson) an Accellion customer. “But, we knew our firm and our clients needed something they could trust and rely on.”

What It Does

From a data security perspective, Accellion Secure Mobile Apps ensure the protection of intellectual property and compliance with industry and government regulations. Accellion Secure Mobile Apps support LDAP authentication to ensure that only authorized users gain access to Accellion Secure Workspaces, which allow teams to securely collaborate and keep projects moving forward by enabling users to view, comment, share, sync and send files. Users can securely access files from anywhere without a VPN.

Last Word

“While mobile collaboration is allowing organizations to significantly improve productivity, many solutions in the market are creating security issues that could expose users to data leakage and compliance challenges,” observes Yorgen Edholm, president and CEO of Accellion, Inc. “Other offerings sacrifice protection for market entry. We provide our customers with a secure mobile app business users can use from wherever and whenever with confidence.”

Can You Allow BYOD and Still Secure Business Data?

Stephanie Jordan — Wed, 02 May 2012 02:16:23 +0000

By nature SMBs need the flexibility and productivity that personal devices now offer. But is the company at risk with the fast adoption of “consumer” BYOD practices? There was a time when cool gadgets and slick computers were only found in business environments and the selection was the domain of IT. But today, as smartphones get smarter and smarter and connectivity is available anywhere, more devices are coming into the workplace not from IT, but from users directly. For small- and medium-sized companies, this is especially true. Gartner is predicting that end-users will be responsible for 50 percent of business IT procurement decisions. From what I hear, it seems like the percentage will likely be higher. BYOD (bring your own device) is now common in all sizes of organizations. Should specific policies be in place to address this ongoing practice?

A recent informal survey of 500 IT professionals, conducted by Mimecast, a provider of email archiving, continuity, and security for Microsoft Exchange and Office 365, found 74 percent of the respondents emphasized that the biggest BYOD challenge was managing information security.

“Employee support for consumerization of IT is in full swing, whether business leaders are ready to admit it or not,” believes Orlando Scott-Cowley, senior product marketing manager of Mimecast.

Here are some recommendations from Mimecast for managing BYOD:

Provide comprehensive support—Employees will work around corporate IT infrastructure in order to be productive and find ways to leverage their personal devices, regardless of if they’re supported by the business or not. Supporting as many computing platforms as possible will ensure employees are accessing and sharing business data within a secure environment approved by the organization.
Focus on data—Seventy-one percent of those surveyed identified their role as a data custodian or someone responsible for locating content and establishing context that is aligned with associated business rules. An organization’s mobile strategy therefore needs to not only enable IT professionals to effectively manage the volume of data, but also provide the solutions that allow employees to securely access and leverage data as a business asset.
Enable productivity—Identify the business applications employees rely on—such as the organization’s email or social collaboration tools—and provide mobile and tablet support for these applications to ensure employees can remain productive.

For any size business it is a worthwhile exercise to discover what employees are using within the network and what might be happening outside the network that is work related. If you are in a business that has compliance regulations to adhere to or have proprietary information to protect, BYOD can jeopardize the company through data leakage. Holding educational sessions with employees about malware, data leakage, and what might be against company policy on devices is an important piece of any policy.

What Devices Are Most Popular?

The IT professionals that participated in the Mimecast survey named the specific personal devices they currently own, with Apple and Android devices leading the pack. Although over half (56.3 percent) of the respondents indicated they were working on a Windows PC, 87.3 percent own a device running off the Apple operating system, with 44.5 percent owning an iPhone and 42.8 percent owning an iPad. Android mobile and tablet ownership followed, with 51.3 percent ownership, and Windows and Blackberry devices followed, with 26 percent and 19.2 percent ownership, respectively.

The smartphone market is, quite simply, on fire. IDC recently reported the worldwide smartphone market grew 42.5 percent year-over-year in 1Q12. But contrary to the survey respondents, it wasn’t Google’s Android or Apple’s iPhone in the top spot, it was Samsung.

“The race between Apple and Samsung remained tight during the quarter, even as both companies posted growth in key areas,” said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Phone Technology and Trends program. “Apple launched its popular iPhone 4S in additional key markets, most notably in China, and Samsung experienced continued success from its Galaxy Note smartphone/tablet and other Galaxy smartphones. With other companies in the midst of major strategic transitions, the contest between Apple and Samsung will bear close observation as hotly-anticipated new models are launched.”

Set Up A Policy

With the number of smartphone and tablets flying off the shelves, there will only be more and more of them appearing in the workplace. There are a number of templates available that offer sample BYOD policy options. At the minimum, a BYOD policy should cover user responsibility, establishing security settings, use of passwords, information classification, camera use, email security requirements and the outlining of unauthorized activity.

As with any policy, employees understanding of the policy is key, along with a policy enforcement plan.

IDC Take on Google/Motorola Acquisition: Not as Dramatic as the Headlines

Stephanie Jordan — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 05:33:15 +0000

Monday’s announcement from Google Inc. and Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. has the industry Twittering and posting like crazy this week. Google will acquire Motorola Mobility for about $12.5 billion, a premium of 63% to the closing price of Motorola Mobility shares as of Friday, August 12. The announcement of the price this week makes all the more impact when one considers the current Wall Street landscape.

According to the companies, Motorola Mobility, a dedicated Android partner, will “enable Google to supercharge the Android ecosystem and will enhance competition in mobile computing.” In his statement, Google CEO Larry Page welcomed, “Motorolans to our family of Googlers.”

Even with a clear statement in the announcement that declares the roadmap for Android unchanged and fully committed to, there is considerable buzz going around that Android’s days may be limited. Motorola is expected to function as an independent company and an independent licensee of Android.

IDC Observations

Analysts at IDC (Ramon T. Llamas, Stephen D. Drake, Stacy K. Crook, Tom Mainelli, and Greg Ireland) offered lengthy commentary on Monday. One of the main benefits to this acquisition is Motorola Mobility’s deep patent portfolio. The IDC authors observe: “Google has been the target of numerous patent lawsuits from Apple and Microsoft, two companies at the forefront of Nortel’s patent auction. Motorola Mobility has a long-standing patent history within mobility, which will not only provide protection to Google, but also the ability to challenge other vendors for patent infringement.” All of a sudden teenage Google is able to take advantage of adopted Grandpa’s history (Motorola was founded in 1928), which, according to IDC may allow either delays in pending lawsuits or settlement out of court.

For its part, Motorola Mobility gets cash resources. IDC notes, “How Motorola Mobility will use this money remains to be seen, whether it be for research and development, marketing, or channel distribution enhancement.”

A potential downside to the acquisition, believe the analysts, is the alienation of other Android device vendors - in particular HTC, LG Electronics, and Samsung - because “Android is the cornerstone of their respective strategies.” Especially as Motorola Mobility gains synergy between its and Google’s’ integration of software and hardware in phones and tablets. IDC also warns that if current Android OEMs get “nervous and are not getting the proper partner attention from Google there is a potential for defection as these OEMs seek other partners or acquisitions for the mobile OS.”

With all the talk and speculation of what this acquisition really means the analysts at IDC seem to be taking the news quite calmly. While they recognize the announcement as significant to the mobile industry, “the impact may not be as dramatic as the headlines.” The IDC analysts note in their final word, “Beyond an improved hardware and software integration for both companies, much needed patent protection for Google and more financial stability for Motorola, this announcement does not shake-up the market, but rather provides the opportunity to enhance the Android experience across the ecosystem.”

The Google and Motorola Mobility deal is expected to close by the end of this year or early next.

Mobile Device Usage Continues to Accelerate - Along for the Ride: SMS Spam

Stephanie Jordan — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 22:33:44 +0000

As mobile devices continue to dominate as a preferred messaging method, businesses are adopting SMS as a way to interact with their customers. Financial institutions, medical offices, and many other types of businesses use SMS for appointment reminders and service alerts. The popularity of mobile devices and SMS is also catching the interest of advertisers and others as they try to find a way to leverage the technology for profit; some of those “others” are producers of spam and malware.

Cloudmark, Inc. is tracking SMS attacks and last month published its 2011 Mobile Spam Guide, which the company describes as “a definitive toolkit designed to help the wider ecosystem address the growing problem of mobile spam”.

In the whitepaper, the company says there are three main categories of attack: spam, fraud and malware, including botnets built through SMS spam messages. The paper walks through each category and also outlines how email spam and SMS spam differ, the rise of SMS spam profitability, and the effects SMS spam is having on a number of stakeholders (consumers, operators, marketers).

The paper also offers steps that subscribers can take to protect themselves. The authors offer the following good advice to pass along to mobile device users:

Never click on a link or call a number embedded within an unexpected SMS message, even if it looks like it is from a friend. This may download a self-propagating virus on the device that can send itself to all of the user’s contacts.
Only download mobile applications from reputable app stores. Be aware that the Android Market is not policed by Google in the same way that the Apple Store is monitored by Apple and instances of applications containing malware have been identified on this platform. Juniper Networks recently revealed that the number of Android malware attacks has increased by 400 percent since last summer.
Never respond to an SMS requesting login details or other personal details, particularly if it claims to be from a bank.
If an offer in an SMS seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Companies such as Microsoft, Nokia or your network operator do not run free lotteries for subscribers, nor do reputable banks offer cheap loans via SMS advertising.
Request your Mobile Network Operator to set up content filters on your mobile account so that premium rate texts cannot be charged or adult material displayed.

I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about mobile spam. This spring research firm Infonetics forecasted sales of mobile security software to grow 50 percent a year through 2014, with an expectation of reaching $2 billion. Of course the concept of mobile spam is not new, in the past the threat has been held somewhat at bay because proprietary networks and overall number of handsets made the payload smaller and therefore less attractive to cybercriminals when compared to email. However, these days the mobile market is very mature with growth exploding in the popularity of iPhones, Androids, and BlackBerry’s. A lot more users make for a lot more potential targets.

The 2011 Mobile Spam Guide is available for download.

IAB Reports Online Advertising in 2011 Hit Record High

Melisa LaBancz-Bleasdale — Tue, 03 May 2011 03:29:38 +0000

The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) Internet Advertising Revenue Report for the full year 2010 and Q4 2010 both showed record results in the United States. Released in mid-April, and prepared by PwC US, the latest report puts all 2010 Internet advertising revenues at a record $26 billion, up 15% from 2009. Fourth quarter revenue also hit new highs at $7.45 billion, up 19% from Q4 2009 and 15% from Q3 2010.

Highlights of the report include:

There were record numbers for the yearly advertising revenue as well as record quarterly highs in the Q4 2010.
The most popular ad format in 2010 was search which represented 46% of revenue and saw 12% growth from last year.
Sponsorships saw the most growth with an 88% increase over last year and 142% increase in the fourth quarter alone.
Display-related advertising – which includes Digital Video Commercials, Ad banners/display ads, sponsorships and rich media – continued to grow this year, totaling nearly $10 billion with an increase of 24% over 2009.
The results exhibit revenue growth for the past five consecutive quarters.
The Annual Report marks the debut of estimated US mobile ad revenue for 2010: between $550 and $650 million.

“As the latest IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report amply demonstrates, brand advertisers and marketers have adopted the power of digital media as a central element of their campaigns,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB. “Consumers have shifted more of their time to digital media – watching television shows and movies online – and advertisers now accept this multifaceted medium as a key component for reaching their targets.”

“With a strong rebound from 2009, the $26 billion spent on Internet advertising points to a continued focus on digital media ad spend, with dollars catching up to the eyeballs. More time spent online, especially with increases in digital video and social media, has certainly helped to fuel the continued growth,” said David Silverman, PwC Assurance partner.

“We now have had five consecutive quarters of growth since the great recession impacted interactive advertising in 2009,” said Sherrill Mane, Senior Vice President, Industry Services, IAB. “The record-breaking revenue in Q4 2010 and the total year indicate that interactive advertising has weathered the storm and then some.”

Here are the results from the full year in comparison with last year’s numbers:

Full Year
2009

Full Year
2010

Revenue (Ad Formats)

47% ($10,698)

46% ($12,004)

Classifieds and Directories

10% ($2,254)

10% ($2,597)

Lead Generation

6% ($1,451)

5% ($1,339)

E-mail

1% ($292)

1% ($195)

Display-related

-Digital Video Commercials

4% ($1,017)

5% ($1,420)

-Ad banners / display ads

22% ($5,061)

24% ($6,230)

-Sponsorships

2% ($383)

3% ($718)

-Rich media

7% ($1,505)

6% ($1,538)

Total display-related

35% ($7,965)

38% ($9,906)

Revenue (Pricing Models)

Impression-based

37% ($8,355)

33% ($8,589)

Performance-based

59% ($13,412)

62% ($16,198)

Hybrid

4% ($894)

5% ($1,254)

The IAB sponsors the IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report, which is conducted independently by the New Media Group of PwC. The results are considered the most accurate measurement of interactive advertising revenues because the data is compiled directly from information supplied by companies selling advertisements on the Internet.

The survey includes data concerning online advertising revenues from Web sites, commercial online services, free e-mail providers and all other companies selling online advertising. The full report is issued twice yearly for full and half-year data, and top-line quarterly estimates are issued for the first and third quarters. PwC does not audit the information and provides no opinion or other form of assurance with respect to the information.

A copy of the full report is available at: http://www.iab.net/AdRevenueReport

McAfee, Inc. Securing Devices for Work, Personal Life and Commerce

Melisa LaBancz-Bleasdale — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:34:32 +0000

McAfee, Inc. hopes to set a new standard in mobile device security with the release of their new Mobile Security Suite, Business-ready Program, and Beta of McAfee WaveSecure software for Android tablets. These new consumer to business-ready solutions, which are part of the McAfee mobile security portfolio, are meant to make it easier for device manufacturers and service providers to differentiate their offerings with security safeguards against device loss, data theft and malware.

McAfee has now bundled its WaveSecure and VirusScan® Mobile technologies as a single license for partners, allowing users to remotely lock, locate, back-up, wipe and restore their stolen or lost devices, while at the same time protecting them against malware threats that originate via email, instant messaging and Internet downloads. This McAfee® mobile security offering is available immediately to McAfee partners.

The McAfee “Business Ready” program, which is set to launch in Q2 2011, will enable partners to pre-load or load McAfee® Enterprise Mobility Management (McAfee® EMM™) client software with the McAfee Mobile Security consumer client technology. With every device that is loaded with WaveSecure, VirusScan Mobile, or the mobile suite, McAfee will also include the McAfee EMM client, making the device ready to be connected to the enterprise secured by McAfee EMM software. This enables consumers to purchase a device that is “business ready,” making it easier for them to bring their device to work, while also enabling McAfee partners to better serve their consumer and enterprise customer segments.

Smartphones and Tablets Gaining Momentum

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) “Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone, Media Tablet, and eReader Trackers,” December 2010, IDC predicted unit shipments of smartphones and tablets would eclipse PCs in 2011. By the end of 2010, IDC expects more than 21 percent of all handsets devices shipped to partners worldwide will be smartphones converged mobile devices, the first time this has occurred. In comparison, 15 percent of all devices shipped in 2009 were smartphones converged mobile devices.

“The proliferation of mobile devices has really determined the need for protection that can span beyond the consumer to the enterprise,” said Todd Gebhart, senior vice president and General Manager of small business, consumer and mobile security. “Our goal is to help our partners differentiate their device or their service, make it easier for our consumer customers to bring their device to work when they’re ready, but rest assured that their own data is protected, and enable our business customers to offer guidance to their end-users.”

McAfee Mobile Security is targeting consumer and enterprise market needs in offering a real-time defense against emerging threats that target mobile devices, mobile services and mobile content. McAfee WaveSecure software, which is available in 16 languages, has achieved more than a million downloads direct to consumers. McAfee WaveSecure was designed to enable users to enjoy a worry-free mobile lifestyle — users can find their missing phone with alarm and location tracking, prevent misuse with remote lock and wipe and preserve important memories and personal data with remote backup, even from a lost or misplaced phone.

McAfee has now entered the beta testing phase with partners and end users for its WaveSecure™ Software for Android Tablets. This edition is specifically designed to operate with Android tablets that have WiFi connectivity. The product will be available for partners and direct to consumers by Q2 2011.

McAfee VirusScan Mobile software protects mobile devices from viruses and malicious applications by automatically scanning and cleaning files, emails, Internet downloads, text and MMS messages, and attachments while keeping critical communication features working. McAfee notes that their VirusScan Mobile software requires minimal mobile computing and memory resources, allowing users to access their devices’ functions, without interruption. VirusScan Mobile software solution is also available as a Software Development Kit (SDK) for OEM customers to use for embedded systems. The company says that the solution has already been shipped in over 100 million mobile devices.

Get Ready Workplace: iPad (and Other Tablets) Cometh

Stephanie Jordan — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 01:10:48 +0000

Following the trend that started with the iPhone, here comes another device originally created for consumers that is expected to be in the business workplace in big numbers: tablets.

Media Tablets

According to IDC the worldwide media tablet market grew 45.1 percent in the third quarter of 2010 (3Q10), driven almost exclusively by global demand for Apple’s iPad. According to the IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker, vendors shipped 4.8 million units globally in 3Q10, compared to 3.3 million units in the second quarter of 2010. Apple’s iPad represented nearly 90 percent of the media tablets shipped worldwide in 3Q10.

In a statement made earlier this month, Susan Kevorkian, research director, Mobile Connected Devices for IDC predicted, “The media tablet market’s rapid evolution will continue to accelerate in 4Q10 and beyond with new product and service introductions, channel expansion, price competition and experimentation with new use cases among consumers and enterprises.”

Media tablets (as opposed to tablet PCs) are categorized by IDC as tablet form factor devices with color displays larger than 5 inches and smaller than 14 inches running lightweight operating systems (such as Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android OS) and can be based on either x86 or ARM processors. Tablet PCs, on the other hand, run full PC operating systems and are based on x86 processors.

Media tablets support multiple connectivity technologies and a broad range of applications, which differentiates them from single purpose—focused devices such as ereaders. Media tablet market evolution will be driven not only by product introductions from PC, consumer electronics, and mobile phone vendors says IDC, but also by expanded distribution channels (with mobile operators playing a key role) and commercial adoption by businesses.

iPad Email Address Hack

Since its launch, Apple has led the media table category—even a security mishap this summer has not dampened the demand for the iPad. Last June, headlines boomed with phrases like “Apple iPad Hacked” in reports of 100,000 stolen email addresses. In actuality, no one hacked into an iPad, but rather into the AT&T server that made it possible for iPad users’ email addresses to be accessed. Just this month two arrests were made for accessing a computer without authorization and fraud in connection to the case. Interestingly enough the two arrested were the same two that made the initial “discovery” of the security flaw. Andrew Auernheimer and Daniel Spitler. While these two young men, 26 and 25, are old enough to know better, it appears that the intent was not to use the acquired email addresses for nefarious purposes, but rather to promote their company, Goatse Security.

At the time the security flaw was discovered, AT&T and Apple both came under fire for not having tighter security in place. As the iPad makes its way into businesses over the course of the year, security will need to be a consideration.

IDC expected the media tablet market to finish 2010 at nearly 17 million units, and forecasts 44.6 million will ship this year, with the U.S. representing nearly 40 percent of the total. If you haven’t already, you’ll be seeing a lot of these tablets in the workplace.