IN TECHNOLOGY CREATE NEW SECURITY CONCERNS access to content that is on the device, others may gain access to content stored on or accessed by the unit, and someone could initiate communication from the device and those contacted would believe the message came from the original owner. Here are some important controls to have in place: 1. The first line of defense is to create and enforce policies that safeguard against loss or theft. As an example, an important control is to make sure employees never leave devices unattended and that they do not place mobile technology in areas where it may be forgotten (such as the aforementioned seatback pocket on an airplane, a restaurant, or a customer site). 2. A second important control is to make sure all mobile units have encrypted storage and have password or passcode protection in place. This way, if someone steals or finds a smartphone or tablet, they have to crack the password to gain FEATURE STORY Mobile devices are quickly becoming more appealing targets for those who steal. access to data stored on it. This gives the user time to invoke additional security measures. Many mobile device operating systems, such as iOS and Android, provide the ability to remotely “wipe” the contents of a stolen or misplaced device. Wiping a device removes the content stored on it, thus making the value of the unit the only benefit for the person who takes it. The password will – hopefully – keep the contents secure until the wipe procedure is completed. With the arrival of laws requiring “kill switches,” such as the California Smartphone Kill Switch Law, which goes into effect July 1, 2015, stolen devices will have to have the ability to be disabled by their owner. Since manufacturers will comply with the California law, we should all benefit from this new feature on smartphones in all states. Provisions of this law include (1) if triggered by an authorized user, the phone will lock the handset, making it useless; (2) the law doesn't specify how the system locks the phone; (3) the feature must be installed and activated in new smartphones; (4) users will be able to deactivate this feature; and (5) however vendors implement the protection, it must be resistant to attempts to reinstall the operating system. 3. Finally, companies should consider mobile device management (MDM) and mobile device tracking applications to add security and provide unit-tracking capabilities. MDM applications allow an administrator to encrypt all or part of mobile device storage, force password methodology that includes dictating the length and complexity of the passwords used, and limit the types of applications and content placed onto a mobile technology item. There are many available options for MDM applications with varying price points. A few of the most popular are MobileIron, Good, Maas360, Centrify, and AirWatch. However, these products do not come cheap, with typical charges around $10 per device per month. Track and trace apps such as LoJack or CyberAngel provide added capabilities for those wishing to find lost or stolen devices by employing some of the unit’s built-in tools like GPS location services and the forward-facing camera (to take pictures of those who currently possess the device). DAMAGE, DESTRUCTION, OR THE MALFUNCTION OF THE MOBILE TECHNOLOGY Mobile technology is easily damaged or destroyed and sometimes malfunctions, which can be expensive to repair or replace and can cause the loss of important content. It might be a good idea to carry insurance coverage on mobile technology to minimize the cost for new units or to repair damaged ones. It is also a great practice to make sure that key data stored on mobile devices is backed up so you can recover it if necessary. Backup applications are plentiful, and because of the tremendous connectivity supported by mobile hardware, it is easy to have up-to-date backups of all important content. VENUE SECURITY Let’s go back to the incident I shared earlier about the individual on the airplane. I was not trying to find out about the operation of his organization, yet I now know the bank they use and infor- THE JOURNAL OF THE HEALTHCARE BILLING AND MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION 11
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