BIG-IP Edge Client 2.0.2 for Android
Earlier this week F5 released our BIG-IP Edge Client for Android with support for the new Amazon Kindle Fire HD. You can grab it off Amazon instantly for your Android device. By supporting BIG-IP Edge Client on Kindle Fire products, F5 is helping businesses secure personal devices connecting to the corporate network, and helping end users be more productive so it’s perfect for BYOD deployments. The BIG-IP® Edge Client™ for all Android 4.x (Ice Cream Sandwich) or later devices secures and accelerates mobile device access to enterprise networks and applications using SSL VPN and optimization technologies. Access is provided as part of an enterprise deployment of F5 BIG-IP® Access Policy Manager™, Edge Gateway™, or FirePass™ SSL-VPN solutions. BIG-IP® Edge Client™ for all Android 4.x (Ice Cream Sandwich) Devices Features: Provides accelerated mobile access when used with F5 BIG-IP® Edge Gateway Automatically roams between networks to stay connected on the go Full Layer 3 network access to all your enterprise applications and files Supports multi-factor authentication with client certificate You can use a custom URL scheme to create Edge Client configurations, start and stop Edge Client BEFORE YOU DOWNLOAD OR USE THIS APPLICATION YOU MUST AGREE TO THE EULA HERE: http://www.f5.com/apps/android-help-portal/eula.html BEFORE YOU CONTACT F5 SUPPORT, PLEASE SEE: http://support.f5.com/kb/en-us/solutions/public/2000/600/sol2633.html If you have an iOS device, you can get the F5 BIG-IP Edge Client for Apple iOS which supports the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. We are also working on a Windows 8 client which will be ready for the Win8 general availability. ps Resources F5 BIG-IP Edge Client Samsung F5 BIG-IP Edge Client Rooted F5 BIG-IP Edge Client F5 BIG-IP Edge Portal for Apple iOS F5 BIG-IP Edge Client for Apple iOS F5 BIG-IP Edge apps for Android Securing iPhone and iPad Access to Corporate Web Applications – F5 Technical Brief Audio Tech Brief - Secure iPhone Access to Corporate Web Applications iDo Declare: iPhone with BIG-IP Technorati Tags: F5, infrastructure 2.0, integration, cloud connect, Pete Silva, security, business, education,technology, application delivery, ipad, cloud, context-aware,infrastructure 2.0, iPhone, web, internet, security,hardware, audio, whitepaper, apple, iTunesBait Phone
You may be familiar with the truTV program Bait Car, where the police place a vehicle equipped with hidden cameras and radio trackers in various areas to catch a would be car thief in the act. It’s kinda fun to watch people ‘check out’ the car, check out the surroundings and decide to jump in and drive off. You get to see their excitement as they think that they’ve just won the jackpot along with the utter despair as officers remotely kill the car and the thief is surrounded. Even the excuses as to why they are driving it are hilarious. ‘I was just moving it for my friend, so they wouldn’t get a ticket, whose name I forgot and I also can’t remember where they live.’ In the UK, they got something similar except with mobile phones called ‘Operation Mobli.’ Plain clothes police purposely left "bait" phones embedded with tracking devices in nine pubs and bars across the towns of Hastings and St Leonards in Sussex. I’m not sure what makes and models of phones were left for the taking but none of the baited devices were stolen. In every case, an honest patron noticed the ‘forgotten’ phone and turned in to the bar staff. Some might describe this sting as a failure but according to the Sussex Police’s press release Sgt Ché Donald said, ‘This was an excellent result and my faith has been restored as the phones were honestly handed in.’ I often write about the potential perils of losing a smartphone crammed with private data and all the unfortunate circumstances that follow. If it gets into the wrong hands then that is the case yet we must also remember that there are plenty of good, honest folks out there who will do the right thing when they find something that doesn’t belong to them. Maybe they’ve seen police sting shows, maybe they’ve lost something themselves, maybe their parents raised them right or maybe it’s simply kindness and honesty that’s built into every one of us. Human’s are capable of the greatest good and the nastiest of evil, it’s all how we decide to play it. ps References: Operation Mobli deters mobile phone thieves in Hastings Police mobile phone sting fails when.. err.. no handsets stolen Mobile-phone 'sting' reveals honesty of Sussex pubgoers Police Sting Operation Yields No Mobile Phone Thefts It's legal: cops seize cell phone, impersonate owner What’s in Your Smartphone? Freedom vs. Control BYOD–The Hottest Trend or Just the Hottest Term Will BYOL Cripple BYOD?BIG-IP Edge Client v1.0.4 for iOS
If you are running the BIG-IP Edge Client on your iPhone, iPod or iPad, you may have gotten an AppStore alert for an update. If not, I just wanted to let you know that version 1.0.4 of the iOS Edge Client is available at the AppStore. The main updates in v1.0.4: IPv6 Support Localization New iPad Retina Graphics The BIG-IP Edge Client application from F5 Networks secures and accelerates mobile device access to enterprise networks and applications using SSL VPN and optimization technologies. Access is provided as part of an enterprise deployment of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager, Edge Gateway, or FirePass SSL-VPN solutions. BIG-IP Edge Client for iOS Features: Provides accelerated mobile access when used with F5 BIG-IP Edge Gateway. Automatically roams between networks to stay connected on the go. Full Layer 3 network access to all your enterprise applications and files. I updated mine today without a problem. psWhere Do You Wear Your Malware?
The London Stock Exchange, Android phones and even the impenetrable Mac have all been malware targets recently. If you’re connected to the internet, you are at risk. It is no surprise that the crooks will go after whatever device people are using to conduct their life – mobile for example, along with trying to achieve that great financial heist….’if we can just get this one big score, then we can hang up our botnets and retire!’ Perhaps Homer Simpson said it best, ‘Ooh, Mama! This is finally really happening. After years of disappointment with get-rich-quick schemes, I know I'm gonna get Rich with this scheme...and quick!’ Maybe we call this the Malware Mantra! Malware has been around for a while, has changed and evolved over the years and we seem to have accepted it as part of the landmines we face when navigating the internet. I would guess that we might not even think about malware until it has hit us….which is typical when it comes to things like this. Out of sight, Out of mind. I don’t think ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ works with malware. We certainly take measures to guard ourselves, anti-virus/firewall/spoof toolbars/etc, which gives us the feeling of protection and we click away thinking that our sentinels will destroy anything that comes our way. Not always so. It was reported that the London Stock Exchange was delivering malvertising to it’s visitors. The LSE site itself was not infected but the pop-up ads from the site delivered some nice fake warnings saying the computer was infected and in danger. This is huge business for cybercriminals since they insert their code with the third-party advertiser and never need to directly attack the main site. Many sites rely on third-party ads so this is yet another area to be cautious of. One of the things that Web 2.0 brought was the ability to deliver or feed other sites with content. If you use NoScript with Firefox on your favorite news site (or any major site for that matter), you can see the amazing amount of content coming from other sources. Sometimes, 8-10 or more domains are listed as content generators so be very careful as to which ones you allow. With the success of the Android platform, it also becomes a target. This particular mobile malware looks and acts like the actual app. The problem is that it also installs a backdoor to the phone and asks for additional permissions. Once installed, it can connect to a command server and receive instructions; including sending text messages, add URL’s/direct a browser to a site along with installing additional software. The phone becomes part of a botnet. Depending on your contract, all these txt can add up leading to a bill that looks like you just bought a car. In fact, Google has just removed 21 free apps from the Android Market saying its malware designed to get root access to the user’s device. They were all masquerading as legitimate games and utilities. If you got one of these, it’s highly recommended that you simply take your phone back to the carrier and swap it for a new one, since there’s no way of telling what has been compromised. As malware continues to evolve, the mobile threat is not going away. This RSA2011 recap predicts mobile device management as the theme for RSA2012. And in related news, F5 recently released our Edge Portal application for the Android Market – malware free. Up front, I’m not a Mac user. I like them, used them plenty over the years and am not opposed to getting one in the future, just owned Windows devices most of my life. Probably due to the fact that my dad was an IBM’r for 30 years. Late last week, stories started to appear about some beta malware targeting Macs. It is called BlackHole RAT. It is derived from a Windows family of trojans and re-written to target Mac. It is spreading through torrent sites and seems to be a proof-of-concept of what potentially can be accomplished. Reports say that it can do remote control of an infected machine, open web pages, display messages and force re-boots. There is also some disagreement around the web as to the seriousness of the threat but despite that, criminals are trying. Once we all get our IPv6 chips installed in our earlobes and are able to take calls by pulling on our ear, a la Carol Burnett style, I wonder when the first computer to human virus will be reported. The wondering is over, it has already happened. ps Resources: London Stock Exchange site shows malicious adverts When malware messes with the markets Android an emerging target for cyber criminals Google pulls 21 apps in Android malware scare More Android mobile malware surfaces in third-party app repositories Infected Android app runs up big texting bills Ignoring mobile hype? Don't overlook growing mobile device threats "BlackHole" malware, in beta, aims for Mac users Mac Trojan uses Windows backdoor code I'll Believe Mac malware is a problem when I see it BlackHole RAT is Really No Big Deal 20 years of innovative Windows malware Edge Portal application on Android MarketHey You, Get Off-ah My Cloud!
Who would have thought that a Rolling Stones song written almost 50 years ago could become a technology cliché (or battle cry) a half-century later. Yesterday, research firm Gartner Inc. said that by 2014, The Personal Cloud will replace the Personal Computer as the Center of the Users’ Digital Lives. The Cloud has come a long way in a few years – quickly going from some nebulous thing based on virtualization that everyone tried to define to the Center of our Digital Lives. This does not necessarily mean the death of the PC, personal computer that is, it just means that the focus will be on the devices, leveraging each device strength, how we use various/different devices daily and deliver the content based on that context. Since we’ll be able to get to our stuff, all our stuff, on whatever device we have at the time, we’ll be happier and more productive. OK, what’s the bad news? This will require IT to completely rethink how they deliver applications and services to users yet again. According to Gartner’s Press Release: Several driving forces are combining to create this new era. These megatrends have roots that extend back through the past decade but are aligning in a new way. Megatrend No. 1: Consumerization — You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet Gartner has discussed the consumerization of IT for the better part of a decade, and has seen the impact of it across various aspects of the corporate IT world. However, much of this has simply been a precursor to the major wave that is starting to take hold across all aspects of information technology as several key factors come together: Users are more technologically savvy and have very different expectations of technology. The Internet and social media have empowered and emboldened users. The rise of powerful, affordable mobile devices changes the equation for users. Users have become innovators. Through the democratization of technology, users of all types and status within organizations can now have similar technology available to them. Megatrend No. 2: Virtualization — Changing How the Game Is Played Virtualization has improved flexibility and increased the options for how IT organizations can implement client environments. Virtualization has, to some extent, freed applications from the peculiarities of individual devices, operating systems or even processor architectures. Virtualization provides a way to move the legacy of applications and processes developed in the PC era forward into the new emerging world. This provides low-power devices access to much-greater processing power, thus expanding their utility and increasing the reach of processor-intensive applications. Megatrend No. 3: "App-ification" — From Applications to Apps When the way that applications are designed, delivered and consumed by users changes, it has a dramatic impact on all other aspects of the market. These changes will have a profound impact on how applications are written and managed in corporate environments. They also raise the prospect of greater cross-platform portability as small user experience (UX) apps are used to adjust a server- or cloud-resident application to the unique characteristics of a specific device or scenario. One application can now be exposed in multiple ways and used in varying situations by the user. Megatrend No. 4: The Ever-Available Self-Service Cloud The advent of the cloud for servicing individual users opens a whole new level of opportunity. Every user can now have a scalable and nearly infinite set of resources available for whatever they need to do. The impacts for IT infrastructures are stunning, but when this is applied to the individual, there are some specific benefits that emerge. Users' digital activities are far more self-directed than ever before. Users demand to make their own choices about applications, services and content, selecting from a nearly limitless collection on the Internet. This encourages a culture of self-service that users expect in all aspects of their digital experience. Users can now store their virtual workspace or digital personality online. Megatrend No. 5: The Mobility Shift — Wherever and Whenever You Want Today, mobile devices combined with the cloud can fulfill most computing tasks, and any tradeoffs are outweighed in the minds of the user by the convenience and flexibility provided by the mobile devices. The emergence of more-natural user interface experiences is making mobility practical. Touch- and gesture-based user experiences, coupled with speech and contextual awareness, are enabling rich interaction with devices and a much greater level of freedom. At any point in time, and depending on the scenario, any given device will take on the role of the user's primary device — the one at the center of the user's constellation of devices. "The combination of these megatrends, coupled with advances in new enabling technologies, is ushering in the era of the personal cloud," said Mr. Kleynhans. "In this new world, the specifics of devices will become less important for the organization to worry about. Users will use a collection of devices, with the PC remaining one of many options, but no one device will be the primary hub. Rather, the personal cloud will take on that role. Access to the cloud and the content stored or shared in the cloud will be managed and secured, rather than solely focusing on the device itself." Of course I immediately thought of Pigpen with his cloud of dust following him around or that we will all have those ‘thinking’ balloons around us wherever we go. At least we can keep the acronym. ps Resources: Gartner Says the Personal Cloud Will Replace the Personal Computer as the Center of Users' Digital Lives by 2014 ‘Personal Cloud’ to Replace PC by 2014, Says Gartner Gartner Consumer Research: Personal Cloud Get Off of my Cloud Computing – Competition in the ‘Cloud’ Get Off of My Cloud Hey, You, Get off of My Cloud Hey You, Get Off Of My Cloud Get off my cloud! (It’s private) Technorati Tags: F5, gartner, personal cloud, cloud computing, Pete Silva, security, business, consumerization, technology, application delivery, cloud, mobile, infrastructure 2.0, web, internetThe New Wallet: Is it Dumb to Carry a Smartphone?
When I was a teenager, I used to have one of those cool nylon surfer wallets with the Velcro close, you remember those don’t ya? While pumping diesel (had a VW Rabbit) one day at an old Gulf station, I left the wallet on top of the car and drove off. Realizing that my wallet was not snug in the sun visor when I got home, I retraced my path and found it - parts of it - scattered all over Route 1. Luckily, I got most of my belongings back but had that sickened feeling of almost losing my most precious possession at the time, my fake I……um, my driver’s license. I then got a leather wallet and shoved so many things in there I could have been mistaken for George Costanza, not to mention the hole that evolved right at the bottom point of my back pocket. Not liking the bump on my butt, I eventually moved to ‘money-clip’ type holders, you know those money holder things you carry in your front pocket. I felt ‘safer’ knowing it was in my front pocket and I only carried the essentials that I needed, rather than the reams of receipts I’d have in my wallet. When I was younger, I’d use tie clips, metal binder clips, and other things until I got a nice Harley-Davidson one which holds credit cards and clips currency. I’d still feel sick if I lost it however. Not having a wallet, purse, money clip or other currency container at all, may eventually be our new reality. You see, our smartphones are starting to carry all that digital information for us and according to a recent CNNMoney article, our smartphones are becoming one of our most dangerous possessions. We can do banking, make payments, transfer money, use the phone for loyalty card swipes along with credit card transactions. At the same time, mobile users more vulnerable to phishing attacks, some banking apps for Android, iPhone expose sensitive info, Android Trojan Emerges In U.S. Download Sites and how IPv6: Smartphones compromise users' privacy. We knew it would eventually happen but the crooks are now adapting to the explosive mobile growth, the rise of mobile banking and our never ending connection to the internet. Don’t get me wrong, like many of you, I love having email, contacts, calendar and entertainment at my fingertips along with the convenience of having all my stuff with me; but the chances of losing much more greatly increase since you have the equivalent, or even more, of all your credit cards, personal and private information and other sensitive stuff right on your smartphone. Sure there are backup programs but how many of you actually backup your computer on a weekly basis? How many have wipe or lock software installed to destroy everything on the smartphone if it is stolen? How many have tracking software if it is lost? How many have your actual home address in the GPS navigator so the offender can find where you live and visit while you are away? How many have sensitive corporate information stored on the smartphone since you use it for both personal and business use? Now I’m starting to spook myself. Many people will willingly trade some personal info for personal convenience. You might never give a total stranger your home address and phone number but if they add, ‘in exchange, we’ll give you this branded card and you’ll get 10% off every purchase,’ more than likely, we’ll turn that personal info over. If you understand that every purchase will be scanned, sent to a database and used for marketing or as the merchant describes, to ‘provide you with the best service and offerings,’ then you might accept that. If you accept and understand the risks of doing mobile banking, transferring money, making payments and carrying around your entire life on your mobile device….and take actions to mitigate those risks, like using encryption, backups, wipe/locate software, antivirus, OS updates and other mobile security precautions along with practicing the same discretion as you would with your home computer (like not clicking links from strangers) then you should stay relatively safe. Unless, of course, you leave that digital wallet on the top of your vehicle and drive off. ps Resources Android Trojan Emerges In U.S. Download Sites Sophisticated New Android Trojan "Geinimi" Spreading in China Chinese crack down on 'money-sucker' Androids Your most dangerous possession? Your smartphone IPv6: Smartphones compromise users' privacy Mobile users more vulnerable to phishing attacks Report: Banking Apps for Android, iPhone Expose Sensitive Info Make Sure Your Smartphone Payments Are Secure F5 BIG-IP Edge Client App F5 BIG-IP Edge Portal App Securing iPhone and iPad Access to Corporate Web Applications – F5 Technical Brief Audio Tech Brief - Secure iPhone Access to Corporate Web ApplicationsiDo Declare: iPhone with BIG-IP
Who would have imagined back in 1973 when Martin Cooper/Motorola dialed the first portable cellular phone call, that one day we'd be booking airline tickets, paying bills, taking pictures, watching movies, getting directions, emailing and getting work done on a little device the size of a deck of cards. As these 'cell-phones' have matured, they've also become an integral part of our lives on a daily basis. No longer are they strictly for emergency situations when you need to get help, now they are attached to our hip with an accompanying ear apparatus as if we've evolved with new bodily appendages. People have grown accustomed to being 'connected' everywhere. There have been mobile breakthroughs over the years, like having 3G/4G networks and Wi-Fi capability, but arguably one of the most talked about and coveted mobile devices in recent memory is the Apple iPhone. Ever since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, it has changed the way people perceive and use mobile devices. It's not just the tech-savvy that love the iPhone, it's Moms, Florists, Celebrities, Retailers and everyone in between that marvel at the useful ways iPhone can be used, and for their very own novel purpose. There are literally hundreds of thousands of apps available for iPhone, from the silly and mundane to banking and business. Browsing the web is a breeze with the iPhone with the ability to view apps in both portrait and landscape modes. The ability to zoom and 'pinch' with just your fingers made mobile browsing tolerable, even fun from an iPhone. Shopping from your cell phone is now as common as ordering a cup of coffee - often at the same time! iPhone developers are pushing the limits with augmented reality applications where you can point your iPhone into the sky and see the flight number, speed, destination and other such details as planes fly by. When the iPhone was first introduced and Apple started promoting it as a business capable device, it was missing a few important features. Many enterprises, and small businesses for that matter, use Microsoft products for their corporate software - Exchange for email, Word for documents, Excel for spreadsheets and PowerPoint for presentations. Those were, as expected, not available on the iPhone. As new generations of iPhones hit the market and iOS matured, things like iPhone Exchange ActiveSync became available and users could now configure their email to work with Exchange Server. Other office apps like Documents-to-Go make it possible for iPhone users to not only to view Microsoft Word and Excel documents, but they were able to create and edit them too. Today, there are business apps from Salesforce, SAP and Oracle along with business intelligence and HR apps. Companies can even lock down and locate a lost or stolen iPhone. Business users are increasingly looking to take advantage of Apple iOS devices in the corporate environment, and as such IT organizations are looking for ways to allow access without compromising security, or risking loss of endpoint control. IT departments who have been slow to accept the iPhone are now looking for a remote access solution to balance the need for mobile access and productivity with the ability to keep corporate resources secure. The F5 BIG-IP Edge Portal app for iOS devices streamlines secure mobile access to corporate web applications that reside behind BIG-IP Access Policy Manager, BIG-IP Edge Gateway and FirePass SSL VPN. Using the Edge Portal application, users can access internal web pages and web applications securely, while the new F5 BIG-IP Edge Client app offers complete network access connection to corporate resources from an iOS device; a complete VPN solution for both the iPhone and iPad. The BIG-IP Edge Portal App allows users to access internal web applications securely and offers the following features: User name/password authentication Client certificate support Saving credentials and sessions SSO capability with BIG-IP APM for various corporate web applications Saving local bookmarks and favorites Accessing bookmarks with keywords Embedded web viewer Display of all file types supported by native Mobile Safari Assuming an iPhone is a trusted device and/or network access from an iPhone/iPad is allowed, then the BIG-IP Edge Client app offers all the BIG-IP Edge Portal features listed above, plus the ability to create an encrypted, optimized SSL VPN tunnel to the corporate network. BIG-IP Edge Client offers a complete network access connection to corporate resources from an iOS device. With full VPN access, iPhone/iPad users can run applications such as RDP, SSH, Citrix, VMware View, VoIP/SIP, and other enterprise applications. The BIG-IP Edge Client app offers additional features such as Smart Reconnect, which enhances mobility when there are network outages, when users roaming from one network to another (like going from a mobile to Wi-Fi connection), or when a device comes out of hibernate/standby mode. Split tunneling mode is also supported, allowing users to access the Internet and internal resources simultaneously. BIG-IP Edge Client and Edge Portal work in tandem with BIG-IP Edge Gateway, BIG-IP APM and FirePass SSL VPN solutions to drive managed access to corporate resources and applications, and to centralize application access control for mobile users. Enabling access to corporate resources is key to user productivity, which is central to F5’s dynamic services model that delivers on-demand IT. ps Resources F5 Announces Two BIG-IP Apps Now Available at the App Store F5 BIG-IP Edge Client App F5 BIG-IP Edge Portal App F5 BIG-IP Edge Client Users Guide iTunes App Store Securing iPhone and iPad Access to Corporate Web Applications – F5 Technical Brief Audio Tech Brief - Secure iPhone Access to Corporate Web Applications Is the iPhone Finally Ready for Business Use? iPhone in Business The next IT challenge: Mobile device management Use Your iPhone to See Where Planes are HeadedBYOD Policies – More than an IT Issue Part 5: Trust Model
#BYOD or Bring Your Own Device has moved from trend to an permanent fixture in today's corporate IT infrastructure. It is not strictly an IT issue however. Many groups within an organization need to be involved as they grapple with the risk of mixing personal devices with sensitive information. In my opinion, BYOD follows the classic Freedom vs. Control dilemma. The freedom for user to choose and use their desired device of choice verses an organization's responsibility to protect and control access to sensitive resources. While not having all the answers, this mini-series tries to ask many the questions that any organization needs to answer before embarking on a BYOD journey. Enterprises should plan for rather than inherit BYOD. BYOD policies must span the entire organization but serve two purposes - IT and the employees. The policy must serve IT to secure the corporate data and minimize the cost of implementation and enforcement. At the same time, the policy must serve the employees to preserve the native user experience, keep pace with innovation and respect the user's privacy. A sustainable policy should include a clear BOYD plan to employees including standards on the acceptable types and mobile operating systems along with a support policy showing the process of how the device is managed and operated. Some key policy issue areas include: Liability, Device Choice, Economics, User Experience & Privacy and a Trust Model. Today we look at Trust Model. Trust Model Organizations will either have a BYOD policy or forbid the use all together. Two things can happen if not: if personal devices are being blocked, organizations are losing productivity OR the personal devices are accessing the network (with or without an organization's consent) and nothing is being done pertaining to security or compliance. Ensure employees understand what can and cannot be accessed with personal devices along with understanding the risks (both users and IT) associated with such access. While having a written policy is great, it still must be enforced. Define what is ‘Acceptable use.’ According to a recent Ponemon Institute and Websense survey, while 45% do have a corporate use policy, less than half of those actually enforce it. And a recent SANS Mobility BYOD Security Survey, less than 20% are using end point security tools, and out of those, more are using agent-based tools rather than agent-less. According to the survey, 17% say they have stand-alone BYOD security and usage policies; 24% say they have BYOD policies added to their existing policies; 26% say they "sort of" have policies; 3% don't know; and 31% say they do not have any BYOD policies. Over 50% say employee education is one way they secure the devices, and 73% include user education with other security policies. Organizations should ensure procedures are in place (and understood) in cases of an employee leaving the company; what happens when a device is lost or stolen (ramifications of remote wiping a personal device); what types/strength of passwords are required; record retention and destruction; the allowed types of devices; what types of encryption is used. Organizations need to balance the acceptance of consumer-focused Smartphone/tablets with control of those devices to protect their networks. Organizations need to have a complete inventory of employee's personal devices - at least the one’s requesting access. Organizations need the ability to enforce mobile policies and secure the devices. Organizations need to balance the company's security with the employee's privacy like, off-hours browsing activity on a personal device. Whether an organization is prepared or not, BYOD is here. It can potentially be a significant cost savings and productivity boost for organizations but it is not without risk. To reduce the business risk, enterprises need to have a solid BYOD policy that encompasses the entire organization. And it must be enforced. Companies need to understand: • The trust level of a mobile device is dynamic • Identify and assess the risk of personal devices • Assess the value of apps and data • Define remediation options • Notifications • Access control • Quarantine • Selective wipe • Set a tiered policy Part of me feels we’ve been through all this before with personal computer access to the corporate network during the early days of SSL-VPN, and many of the same concepts/controls/methods are still in place today supporting all types of personal devices. Obviously, there are a bunch new risks, threats and challenges with mobile devices but some of the same concepts apply – enforce policy and manage/mitigate risk As organizations move to the BYOD, F5 has the Unified Secure Access Solutions to help. ps Related BYOD Policies – More than an IT Issue Part 1: Liability BYOD Policies – More than an IT Issue Part 2: Device Choice BYOD Policies – More than an IT Issue Part 3: Economics BYOD Policies – More than an IT Issue Part 4: User Experience and Privacy BYOD–The Hottest Trend or Just the Hottest Term FBI warns users of mobile malware Will BYOL Cripple BYOD? Freedom vs. Control What’s in Your Smartphone? Worldwide smartphone user base hits 1 billion SmartTV, Smartphones and Fill-in-the-Blank Employees Evolving (or not) with Our Devices The New Wallet: Is it Dumb to Carry a Smartphone? Bait Phone BIG-IP Edge Client 2.0.2 for Android BIG-IP Edge Client v1.0.4 for iOS New Security Threat at Work: Bring-Your-Own-Network Legal and Technical BYOD Pitfalls Highlighted at RSABYOD–The Hottest Trend or Just the Hottest Term
It goes by many names: ‘Bring Your Own Danger’, ‘Bring Your Own Disaster’ and what most people call ‘Bring Your Own Device’ and everyone it seems is writing, talking and surveying about BYOD. What used to be inconceivable, using your own personal mobile device/smartphone for work, is now one of the hottest trends or at least, one of the hottest topics being discussed throughout the IT industry. The idea of using a personal smartphone at work sprouted, I think, when many executives got their first iPhone back in 2007 and wanted access to corporate resources. As more smartphones made their way into employee’s hands, the requests for corporate access only grew. Initially resistant to the idea due to security concerns, IT seems to be slowly adopting the concept based on the many blogs, articles and surveys that have littered the internet of late. But, it is a true trend that will transform IT or simply a trending term getting a lot of attention? We’ll be right back after these important messages. Just Kidding. Most likely the former. While many of the cautionary articles talk about potentially grim disasters, they do acknowledge that BYOD is not going away and in fact, is gaining ground. Greater productivity and cost savings seem to be the driving factors. Let’s take a quick look at the smattering of articles surrounding this offshoot of IT consumerization. The Mobile Device Threat: Shocking Mobile Security Stats: A nice slide show featuring highlights from a recent Ponemon Institute and Websense survey. Right out of the gate they talk about how mobile devices are a double-edge sword for enterprises. 77 % of the 4640 responses said that the use of mobile devices in the workplace is important to achieving business objectives but almost the same percentage - 76% - believe that these tools introduce a "serious" set of risks. While organizations understand the risks, the survey showed that only 39% have security controls in place to mitigate them. As a result, 59% of respondents said they’ve seen a jump in malware infections over the past 12 months due, specifically, to insecure mobile devices including laptops, smartphones, and tablets while 51% said their organization has experienced a data breach due to insecure devices. While 45% do have a corporate use policy, less than half of those actually enforce it. In terms of recommendations based on their findings they said, be sure to understand the risk that mobile devices create in the workplace; educate employees about the importance of safeguarding their devices; create a mobile device corporate policy and leverage mobile device management solutions, security access controls, and even cloud services to keep confidential data out of the eyes of unauthorized viewers. 10 myths of BYOD in the enterprise: A nice top 10 from TechRepublic primarily pulling data from a recent Avanadesurvey of more than 600 IT and business leaders. The notion of IT resistance to BYOD is somewhat squashed here with nine out of 10 respondents (according to the results) saying their employees are using their own tech at work. They found that more Androids are encroaching the workplace; that employees are actually using it for work rather than playing games and that nearly 80% of enterprises will make investments this year to manage consumer technologies. There’s 7 more myths along with a couple nice graphics to go along with the list. Interesting and quick read. When Business and Personal Combine: This Wall Street Journal article talks specifically about the conundrum companies and employees face when a remote wipe comes into play. What happens, or really, how to deal with situations when there is a fear of a data breach yet wiping the device also deletes all the employee’s personal data, like family pictures. Policies, use agreements and mobile device management (MDM) solutions are potential solutions. The new BYOD: Businesses are now driving adoption: Rather than the perils of BYOD, this InfoWorld article talks about how enterprises are starting to actively encourage BYOD, not just passively accept it. Reporting on Good Technology’s recent BYOD survey, they found that organizations are jumping on the phenomenon sine they see real ROI from encouraging BYOD. The ability to keep employees connected (to information) day and night can ultimately lead to increased productivity and better customer service. They also found that two of the most highly regulated industries - financial services and health care - are most likely to support BYOD. This shows that the security issues IT folks often raise as objections are manageable and there's major value in supporting BYOD. Another ROI discovered through the survey is that since employees are using their own devices, half of Good’s customers don't pay anything for the employees' BYOD devices – essentially, according to Good, getting employees to pay for the productivity boost at work. BYOD Is The Challenge Of The Decade: Europe is also seeing the BYOD trend. This TechWeek Europe article talks about the familiar threats of malware, spyware, worms and other malicious software but also says that BYOD success depends on both people and technology. That it’s important to involve management early, consider the legal and financial ramifications along with risks to the business to then make an informed decision about a BYOD plan. Not sure if it’s the challenge of the decade but it’s a great headline and will continue to fluster IT in the coming years. IT Security's Scariest Acronym: BYOD, Bring Your Own Device: This PCWorld article uses Nemertes Research data to cover the discrepancies between how companies treat laptops (which can be mobile) and mobile devices themselves. They both have VPN capabilities and device encryption available but stray in different directions after that commonality. The obvious difference is laptops are usually IT owned and smartphones are personally owned. They suggest that it’s a good idea to re-evaluate the difference between security controls on different types of end-user devices and ask, "Is this difference based on valid reasons or a result of legacy thinking?" BYOD Challenge: How IT Can Keep User-Owned iPhones And iPads Secure In Enterprise: This article looks at both the technical and personal challenges to securing employee-owned devices along with suggestions like user education, cost sharing, purchase assistance, tiered access, reward for enrollment and reward for good behavior. I like the last one since much of our challenges and much of what I write about is human behavior, the human condition and why we do the risky things we do. BYOD: Manage the Risks and Opportunities: Bankinfosecurity.com is one of my weekly stops on the internet circuit. While this article is more a primer for an upcoming webinar, it does offer a number a good questions to ask while considering a BYOD strategy. They also say that it's no longer a question of whether to allow employees to use their own devices – the questions are now about inventory, security, privacy, compliance, policy and opportunity. Some BYOD thoughts based on all of the above, in no particular order: Have a BYOD policy or forbid the use all together. Two things can happen if not: personal devices are being blocked and organizations are losing productivity OR the personal devices are accessing the network (with or without an organization's consent) and nothing is being done pertaining to security or compliance. Ensure employees understand what can and cannot be accessed with personal devices along with understanding the risks (both users and IT) associated with such access. What's the written policy and how is it enforced. Acceptable use. Ensure procedures are in place (and understood) in cases of an employee leaving the company; what happens when a device is lost or stolen (ramifications of remote wiping a personal device); what types/strength of passwords are required; record retention and destruction; the allowed types of devices; what types of encryption is used. Organizations need to balance the acceptance of consumer-focused smartphones/tablets with control of those devices to protect their networks. Organizations need to have a complete inventory of employee's personal devices - at least the one’s requesting access. Organizations need the ability to enforce mobile policies. Securing the devices. Organizations need to balance the company's security with the employee's privacy like, off-hours browsing activity on a personal device. Personally, I do find that if I’m playing a game at 9pm and an email comes in, I typically read it. F5 has a number of solutions to help organizations conquer their BYOD fears. From the Edge Client, to our BIG-IP Global Access Solutions (BIG-IP APM and BIG-IP Edge Gateway) to the recent MDM partnership announcements, we can help ensure secure and fast application performance for mobile users. ps Related or, …and the Rest: The Dark Side of BYOD – Remote Wiping and Other Issues How do we manage the BYOD boom, at the technical end? BYOD: Bring your own device could spell end for work PC Bring Your Own Device: Risks and rewards What Risk Does 'BYOD' Pose To Your Business? Survey Says Mobile Device Security Threats Attract Cybercriminals The BYOD Security Dilemma BYOD and the hidden risk of IT security BYOD Policy Template Secure iPhone Access to Corporate Web Applications
