Treat Your Enterprise Security like Alcatraz: Prevent “JailBreaking” at All Costs

At the Gartner 2012 Security & Risk Management Summit this week analysts John Girard and Lawrence Pingree highlighted that serious security risk for companies may be coming from an unsuspected source. With BYOD trends and programs being implemented at a fast clip, quiet and unassuming smartphone users may be “jailbreaking” and posing serious risk.

“Jailbreaking” refers to the instance where a user bypasses the software restrictions mobile devices makers and carriers build into operating systems on smartphones and tablets. Essentially jailbroken devices allow users to gain administrator-level privileges and use the hardware to run unauthorized applications and perform non-sanctioned functions. Ultimately the analysts say that these devices have access to everything.

Girard and Pingree outline the major operating systems and the ease or likely hood of jailbreaking on each and outline a few steps to take to prevent such risks. Implementing a “no jailbreaking” policy in your BYOD program, incorporating a Mobile Device Management (MDM) product into your infrastructure and the use of certificates for mobile devices with access to company data. In any case one main point was, “If we want to drive home anything here, it’s prevent jailbreaking at any cost.” Read more about Gartner’s take and break down on jailbreaking and preventing it in this TechTarget report.