Title: Balancing the threat of personal technology in the workplace

Authors: Sean Garrity, George R.S. Weir

Addresses: Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Lanarkshire G1 1XH, UK. ' Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Lanarkshire G1 1XH, UK

Abstract: Employees are increasingly equipped with personal technology designed to provide entertainment, communications and potential business applications. On the one hand, this explosion of personal devices assists the workplace by enhancing mobility, portability and storage capacity. On the other hand, the uncontrolled use of such devices carries the threat of data leakage, data theft, virus and other malware introduction. This paper describes the risks of such personal storage devices in a business context and considers a series of possible responses to the inherent threat of personal technology in the workplace.

Keywords: personal storage devices; data leakage; security threats; data theft; viruses; malware; personal technology; workplace; electronic security; iPods; mobile phones; flash drives; portable media players; cell phones.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESDF.2010.032332

International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics, 2010 Vol.3 No.1, pp.73 - 81

Published online: 31 Mar 2010 *

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