One of our concerns as an Internet company is security. We work with our clients to ensure networks, emails and transactions are secure. Another area we feel important is portable device security.

Portable devices are popular, and cover a large range of technologies, including PDAs (personal data assistants), cell phones, mp3/video players, laptops, USB storage drives, game systems and GPS devices. Each of these devices has a specific main use, though many have one or more secondary functions. For instance, Motorola's new cell phone the ROKR features iTunes, allowing you to use it as an mp3 player as well as a phone.

Some of the functions shared by many of these devices include address books, wireless Internet access, the ability to send/receive emails, personal calendars, and now a built-in camera. Device manufacturers compete against each other to offer combinations that appeal to consumers. Of course, there are both business and personal use consumers, meaning manufacturers need to offer products that work well in both instances.

With the recent leap in portable device use, there has been an increase in security concerns. The most publicized example of poor device security is the theft and subsequent misuse of celebrity cell phones. Other recent problems include a Dutch captain leaving a USB drive containing Afghan mission details in a rental car and the accounting firm Ernst & Young losing five laptops containing personal information of clients, including social security numbers. A six-month survey in 2005 found that 21,460 PDA/Pocket PCs and 85,619 cell phones were left in the back of cabs – in the city of Chicago alone! This doesn't include any other locations in Chicago, or devices reported as stolen.

Potential loss of important data on portable devices is a very real problem that companies need to acknowledge and address. What could happen to your company if a portable device used by your staff were to go missing? Does it contain confidential information that could harm your company – in reputation, in legal matters, even on the stock market? By implementing a number of security measures, you can protect your company and your staff members.

On the next page are some recommendations for the use of portable devices that carry company information, such as PDAs, Pocket/Tablet PCs, laptops and USB drives. Devices such as cell phones are harder to keep secure but often contain much less confidential information.

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