Should you consider barring portable storage toys like iPod from your corporate networks? Yes, if you want to help keep malware or data thievery out of the networks, research company Gartner has urged in a new report.
"USB flash drives, MP3 players, and the like are everywhere nowadays," Gartner said in "How To Tackle The Threat From Portable Storage Devices," issued July 2. "Giving your staff free rein to use them at work could lead to breaches of security and loss of data.
The report said these small portables can make end-runs around perimeter defenses like firewalls and bring in malware – Trojan horse programs, viruses, worms, spyware – into company computer networks. This report comes on the heels of analysts saying over recent months that these devices do carry such dangers, though this may be the first time MP3 players, digital cameras, smart media cards, memory sticks, compact flash, and other such memory media have been specified in such warnings.
"Businesses must ensure that the right procedures and technologies are adopted to securely manage the use of portable storage devices like USB 'keychain' drives," said the Gartner report. "This will help to limit damage from malicious code, loss of proprietary information or intellectual property, and consequent lawsuits and loss of reputation."
