Smart phones and tablet computers aren’t just nifty gadgets that make connecting on the go easier. They’ve changed the way mobile computing works–and with it, they’ve raised data security issues across devices.
Small business owners need to consider mobile device data security and tablet PC security to keep their computer data safe. Another new computing model, cloud computing, offers small business IT solutions but has its own data security concerns.
Mobile Device and Tablet Data Security
Keeping your PCs, tablets, and mobile devices safe requires a lot of juggling and IT services. Someone has to keep machines free from spyware, viruses, and adware, protect your devices from data theft, ensure the safety of data you’re emailing or collaborating on in the cloud, and maintain the privacy of account information, sensitive data, and company-wide email. While this is easier to do in the security of your office, where you’re only maintaining one network, you can’t realistically maintain the security of cloud computing (or of all of those networks your phones and tablets connect to) as you travel. If you rely on cloud storage to share data, access data from the road, or allow telecommuting for employees, device security is a must.
Mobile device security and tablet data security aren’t just something big firms with large overhead and plenty of IT staff need to worry about. When your employees use those smartphones in a cafe or fire up a tablet PC in a hotel, at the airport, or even at home, they’re engaging in behavior that risks exposing your small business solutions to data theft, or your customer base to identity theft.
Saas Can Help
Enter software as a service, or Saas. With Saas, you don’t need a large IT department staffed with security specialists, you just need a service provider capable of managing your tablet and mobile device data security. With software as a service, you can purchase the data management and data security systems you need for optimized mobile device security, tablet security, and peace of mind. Because the security solutions you need are hosted offsite, the cost is lower and you don’t need to have specialized IT personnel in-house to wrangle the technology.
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is Saas taken to the next level, allowing you to cover more and more devices. Cloud-based systems require no maintenance on your part, because the host company performs all of the maintenance operations to keep the data running and accessible when you need it. But even with cloud computing models, you still must focus on data security.
Cloud-based systems offer varying levels of security. Knowing how much the data you’re storing in the cloud is worth to your business helps you choose the right level of security for your data. When considering a cloud computing package, find out where the data will be housed physically, what levels of data encryption are available and how the company controls for data loss, server issues, and other functionality that can impact your access to sensitive information.
Some industries, such as health care, might have stipulations about the material you can host offsite, limiting your use of software as a service and cloud computing. If there are no barriers to entry for you, ask what security measures the Saas provider has in place. If a cloud computing company doesn’t have reputable security practices in place, don’t take your business there.
Summary
These new computing models bring with them varying levels of security concerns, but all share some characteristics. With cloud computing, tablet usage, and mobile devices, you must relinquish the in-house control of your data and aggressively plan for data security. As a small business owner, you need security solutions that keep your data safe and give you peace of mind.
