I have to review this article with references in APA format.
Losing data is never good. So to combat this we must protect the mobile devices (tablets) that our employees use. Phifer (2011) gives a good starting point to protecting tablets.
Beginning with the policies we use for smart phones we need to ensure tablets have device lock enabled to reduce risk of misuse. As for anti-theft measures, remote lock and remote wipe needs to be enabled as well as location services to give a general ping of the tablet's location in case retrieval is possible.
Encryption of data being sent and received must also be achieved by using email with SSL/TLS, Wi-Fi with WPA2 and VPNs when interfacing with the corporate network.
Data stored on the tablet should also be encrypted and this can be accomplished through self-protecting apps. Anti-malware apps should also be sued to add to the protection provided by firewalls and IDSs (Phifer, 2011). Vacca (2014) also backs this up with a list of controls that outline the basics for protecting tablets. "
1. Establish a customized corporate usage policy for mobile devices
2. Establish a policy for reporting theft or misplacement
3. Establish a well-tested SSL VPN for remote access
4. Establish inbound and outbound malware scanning
5. Establish WPA2 encryption for Wi-Fi traffic access" (p. 233) A tool to help in managing multiple tablets without having to configure each one manually, one at a time, is Mobile Device Management (MDM) software.
This allows a central point of rule and policy making and management to apply to multiple devices at once.
An example of this is Zenprise MobileManager that "provides centralized visibility to the devices and users that are connecting to the corporate network and allows IT to manage the devices by applying the right set of policies to ensure compliance" (https://www.ndm.net/mobile/Zenprise/mdm).
As we harden our security and build defenses and test and rebuild them as needed, I'm reminded of what is said in Matthew, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (16:18, ESV). And although we are building a network defense and not a church I'm a firm believer that if we stay vigilant and continue to check and make better, our security will make it all the harder for an attacker to breach our defenses. Phifer, L. (2011, February). Tablet security: Best practices for the tablet computer onslaught.
Retrieved August 23, 2017, from https://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/tip/Tablet-security-Best-practices-for-the-tablet-computer-onslaught Vacca, J. R. (2014). Network and System Security. Elsevier, Inc.