NextSentry security firm would like to Ban iPods from Workplace
NextSentry today announced that “Pocket Fraud(TM)” is quickly
becoming the methodology of choice for employees with legitimate
access credentials to download confidential customer data and
intellectual property for profit or personal gain. Since the start-up
launched in June 2006, NextSentry has seen employees increasingly
confident in using traditional removable storage devices like memory
sticks and CDs to improperly extract data from the enterprise with
tools that fit in their pocket. However, the company now believes
that the use of iPods for “Pod Slurping,” MP3s, and even digital
cameras with massive storage capacities will become the biggest
Pocket Fraud assets for internal theft from rogue employees. As a
result, NextSentry suggests corporations prohibit employees from
using such devices until proper policy enforcement capabilities are
in place in order to prevent data leaks.
According to NextSentry, mass storage devices like iPods, MP3s, and
memory sticks are finding a place in the enterprise either to make
employees happy or to increase productivity. For example, according
to an article by Anjali Athavaley in the October 25, 2006 issue of
the Wall Street Journal, “National Semiconductor Corp., a chip
manufacturer in Santa Clara, Calif., spent $2.5 million on video
iPods for its 8,500 employees, including those overseas, for training
purposes and company announcements. At Capital One Financial Corp., a
financial-services company based in McLean, Va., more than 3,000
employees have received iPods since the company began using them in
supplementary training classes. Siemens AG unit Siemens Medical
Solutions, a health-care supplier based in Malvern, Pa., purchased
about 100 iPods for its molecular-imaging group last year for training
and sales support.”