Safeguarding mobile devices

It's tough enough securing your computer systems in the office, but the growing use of mobile devices, including cell phones and wireless laptops, is making your life even tougher. Seymour Goodman, a professor of international affairs and computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology, testified in Congress last week, forecasting "a coming tsunami of insecurity."

He told the House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Research and Science Education that computers with wireless connections are sitting ducks for criminals, hackers and terrorists. Goodman said cell phone use is growing faster than the Internet and presenting a prime opportunity for hacking. To deal with this issue, research and development will have to come up with better ways to protect mobile devices. It will require collaboration by experts before the threat intensifies, he said.

"We have lots of experience and mistakes with the Internet," Goodman told the congressional panel. "This time, will we be able to get ahead of the problem and make the world of mobile cyberspace safer and more secure before the tsunami forms, builds momentum, and hits us?"

For more on growing threats against mobile devices:
- check out this GovInfoSecurity.com article

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