Why You Need Laptop Security
The more notebooks and mobile devices are used, the more likely that corporate security will be breached. How many times have you heard about a company that has lost confidential data when one of its notebooks was stolen? You’d be surprised at how many of these losses are not reported — the problem is much greater than you might expect.
To protect themselves businesses must invest in mobile security software. The ideal product includes support for multiple portable device types, protecting not just laptop computers but also handheld devices like Windows Mobile, Palm, BlackBerry, Symbian, and iPhone. The more devices supported, the better.
Look for mobile security solutions that support as many of these features as possible:
- Data encryption to keep confidential data safe
- Device locking via password
- Centralized control and management of all devices
- Remote deactivation of a device when lost or stolen
- Antivirus and firewall support to protect the user from spyware and other threats
- Mandatory corporate security policies
Not everyone who uses a notebook or a handheld device understands the need for security, so it’s important to educate employees about why security is important and what they can do to help the business keep its data safe. Notebook computers are stolen every day from cars, hotel rooms, coffee shops and airports. Even though most thieves have no interest in company data, it puts everything you do at risk and can cause you regulatory grief in certain industries. It’s much less expensive to deal with these security problems proactively.
You should also worry about personal mobile devices. Many employees use these devices throughout the work day and important and private corporate data may end up on these devices without your permission. Being flexible on dealing with these devices and letting employees secure them with your support is better and safer in the long run, which is where the right mobile security software makes it all possible.