Securing Wireless Access To Mobile Applications
by Lisa Phifer
Posted 3/2004; Published 9/2003

Abstract:

Mobile applications improve business efficiency by making networked company assets more readily available, anytime, anywhere. Adoption has been particularly strong in education, health care, financial, manufacturing and retail markets—environments where mobility clearly increases productivity. For example, when Nabisco rolled out its wireless warehousing application, speed and quality increased 12 percent. An enterprise WLAN study commissioned by Cisco found annual productivity improvements averaging $7,000 per user.

However, all network extensions increase risk, and mobile applications are no exception. Before adding wireless access to your business applications, you’ll want to take steps to secure mobile devices, wireless connections and all points of entry into your private network and services.

Studies show that one in five company networks have been infiltrated by unauthorized WLANs, and three in four personal digital assistant (PDA) owners use personal devices for business. Without corporate oversight, these unmanaged devices are security accidents waiting to happen. The first step for network/security managers is to identify the threats associated with permitting mobile access to company resources.

One Microsoft study cited security concerns as the top barrier to wireless deployment; factors like budget trailed far behind. You can tackle this barrier head-on by assessing your risks, developing a security policy and implementing that policy with appropriate counter-measures.

Most companies implement complementary measures at multiple layers to provide security in depth. Securing wireless access to mobile applications requires protecting every link in the chain: mobile devices, wireless links, network access and targeted mobile applications. Mobile data initiatives must carefully combine these security measures to match business needs with acceptable risk. Only then can your company fully reap the benefits promised by mobile applications.

About the author:

Lisa Phifer is vice president of Core Competence, a network security consulting firm based in Chester Springs, PA.

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