Confidence Game

Computers. Networks. The Internet. Mobility. Security. Put them all together, and you’re working in a complex world. Complex now, and growing more so every day.

The growth of telecommuting and the common availability of Internet access have expanded the usefulness of computers into every industry. Unfortunately, it’s also made security issues even more complex-and the responsibility for ensuring security more challenging.

No longer does network security stop at the corporate firewall, the software bastion that keeps unauthorized intrusions at bay. The expanded, global dimension of online business now means that network administrators have to struggle with a whole new world of corporate security issues.

For trucking companies, with staff who work remotely, connecting to the company network from off-site locations brings new problems to the fore, such as unapproved application software, unknown home network configurations and attached devices, and unauthorized password and account-management practices.

One of those issues is simply the security and availability of wireless handsets and devices.
Until recently, authentication (the process of determining whether someone is, in fact, who they say they are) on wireless-Web access devices was only possible at the system server level via wireless transport layer security, the mobile equivalent of SSL (Secure Socket Layer, a security protocol that’s part of the Microsoft and Netscape browsers). Class-3 authentication, another security protocol that works at both the server and client levels and is a prime enabler for the growing mobile commerce market, is only just beginning to see widespread use.

If your mobile network’s security is inadequate, the consequences go far beyond issues about the integrity of the network itself. In fact, they even go beyond the viability of the company, extending all the way to the development of new and profitable marketspaces.

Communications industry analysts say concerns about security issues for mobile-enabled networks are part of why the full-scale adoption of mobile commerce is proceeding slowly.
In today’s business world, there’s a new dream of a mobile workforce helping to create millions of dollars worth of new business.

However, the reality is that it’s happening for only a small number of businesses and will remain only a dream for the rest, unless issues of mobile networks security can be resolved.

As happened with the development of electronic commerce, end users need to be assured that their privacy and the reliability of their online transactions are not at risk.

The good news is that some products have already come to market which address a number of critical mobile security issues. That means that companies concerned about the security risks involved with letting end users access network resources via wireless devices can breathe a little easier.

Among those new products are enhancements recently added to Tivoli System’s (www.tivoli.com) security management software. Tivoli (a subsidiary of IBM Corp.) has upgraded its SecureWay Policy Director, server software that lets IT staff manage the authentication of end users centrally, ensuring that only appropriate network resources are accessible to them. The new enhancements add support for Wireless Access Protocol (a specification that allows wireless devices such as cellular phones to be used for Internet access) in the product’s Policy Director feature, centralizing the management of cell phones, PDAs, and other handheld devices. The revised software is designed to prevent IT staff from having to set up separate, dedicated security systems for wireless Internet users.

Intel Corp. (www.intel.com) recently brought to market a solution that addresses a critical gap in previous network security products: a first high-speed, security network adapters for mobile PCs. The new connections help protect confidential information, such as intellectual property, financial transactions, human resource records and customer demographics, transmitted across a local area network (LAN).

With Intel’s new adapters, organizations can now implement comprehensive LAN security solutions, enabling mobile PCs, desktop PCs and servers to utilize Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) encryption. IPSec provides up to 168-bit, triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES) protection, one of the world’s highest levels of data security. (By comparison, the highest encryption level available of Web browsers is 128-bit.)

It seems that both the problem and the solutions are more complex than ever before. The result, however, is that secure mobile networks allow businesses to do their work more efficiently, more profitably, and-most important of all-more confidently.