Perhaps your team has figured out by now how to deal with the iPhones, iPads and Android phones that employees bring into the work environment, but there's no rest for the weary. The newly released, popular Kindle Fire tablet from Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is expected to find its way into the enterprise soon, bringing with it a slew of security challenges, reports Mathew J. Schwartz at InformationWeek.

There are five security-related matters IT teams should bear in mind as the Kindle Fire works its way in, Schwartz advises. First, the Kindle's operating system--Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android - is "an attack magnet." Attackers like it, and users should expect to see the device become a target.

To make matters worse, your mobile device management tool is unlikely to work with the Kindle at this point. Amazon isn't permitting the Kindle Fire to access Android Market, and that is where the necessary security tools can be found, Schwartz reports. Until this changes, the best bet may be to keep Kindle Fires off the company network.

However, because Amazon requires developers to send in their apps for review before they can be listed--much like Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) walled-garden approach--the Kindle Fire may prove to be relatively secure in the long run. 

It remains to be seen whether Amazon will follow in Apple's footsteps in blocking a variety of security apps from its store. Since Android confronts more attacks than Apple's iOS, it may behoove Amazon to allow antivirus apps in its store.

Finally, Amazon's data collection practices raise red flags for privacy rights advocates. The company sends non-SSL traffic through its cloud service, allowing it to hold onto the websites that users visit. To avoid this, users can turn off Amazon's cloud acceleration, but that could impede the experience.

For more:
- see Mathew J. Schwartz's article at InformationWeek

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