security threat

Indian BlackBerry ban lifted

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:59:57 -0400

Last week, we ran a bizarre story about the Indian government rejecting Tata Teleservices' application to offer BlackBerry devices in India, on the grounds that the inability to intercept BlackBerry data makes the device a security threat. The story was even more odd when one considered that other carriers already offer BlackBerry devices in India. At the time, Tata filed for a clarification as to why their service was singled out. This week, they received an answer: The Indian government has rescinded the ban on Tata's BlackBerry service and will work with mobile carriers to ensure that any security issues are resolved. "We are keen to resolve the issue at the earliest but there is no question of banning the Blackberry services," Indian Telecom Secretary Siddartha Behura said.

For more on the security saga:
- see this article from Rediff India Abroad

Editor's Corner

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 20:01:40 -0400

There were several encouraging news items this week about mobile devices and advancement on the open source technology front. Given Linux's stability and tougher security shell, open source could be the perfect panacea for what's plaguing wireless technologies today--inconsistent service and the impending security threat, as malware writers and hackers increasingly start to turn their attention towards mobile devices. As this NetworkWorld article details, Linux is slowly but surely making its way onto a stage that's currently dominated by vendors like Symbian and Microsoft. It's only going to gain a greater presence as more groups like Open Source Development Labs and Linux Phone Standards work together to build common specs for Linux-based mobile devices.

Auditing, risk assessment a mandate

Sun, 14 May 2006 20:01:38 -0400

If you've spent more than a few years toiling in the IT environment, you probably remember the days of 'hubs' and how excited everyone was to plug them into corporate networks. You also probably remember the horrible experience related to the security risks involved in making such a move. The same is true with today's wireless networks, which is why experts are pushing IT leaders to implement and establish strong audit processes and procedures. Risks come from several different segments of the network system and wireless LANs are much more insecure than internal network environments.

The continual quest to get users access everywhere and anywhere creates a substantial security element. Tech leaders need to assess this security threat and then formulate approaches to stop intruders and protect the information being shared. One of the easiest and most common strategies is using the hidden service set identifier, but that isn't foolproof since it also relies on the user's knowledge and responsibility. That's why auditing has become such a valuable tool. As enterprise use a variety of security tools to keep intruders out, the wireless review must become part of the annual IT risk assessment effort. It's the only way potential wireless problems can be treated, like the traditional network issues of authentication, access control, availability and encryption. Article

Industry group identifies VoIP security issues

Sun, 06 Nov 2005 19:01:34 -0500

The Voice over IP Security Alliance (VOIPSA) has developed a VoIP Security Threat Taxonomy defining the many potential security threats to VoIP deployments, services and users. According to the industry organization, the primary goal is to help advance VoIP security awareness in the industry, press and general public. If you'd like to get involved and contribute to the effort click here.