Laptops still the weakest link in the IT network perimeter

By Robbie O'Brien

February 21, 2007

NO ONE IS IMMUNE it seems, to security exposure when it comes to laptops.  Take two recent high profile examples from the FSA and Scotland Yard. Over the course of the last three years the UK’s Financial Services Authority (FSA) has admitted to losing 17 laptop PCs valued at a total of 13,000. The bank account details of more than 15,000 Scotland Yard officers were stolen as a result of a burglary. Sensitive financial information about high-ranking officers, thought to include Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair, and anti-terrorist detectives were stored on three laptops stolen from the company responsible for the force’s pay and pension’s services. The break-in, at the offices of software group LogicaCMG in Peckham, South-East London, is a huge embarrassment to Scotland Yard.

The trend towards flexible working and the wonderful mobility of laptops is at the heart of the issue. Not only are they so easy to lose but they have become very attractive to criminals who now know the value of the information contained inside the device.

Not surprisingly, a recent European survey found that company laptops are routinely used to download music and video, access porn, and do online shopping. So big has the problem become that laptops returning to company networks after their travels are now one of the biggest security hazards faced by many companies. Despite this, 70% of companies questioned offered no written guidance to employees on the use of their machines, and only a quarter imposed technological restrictions. “Laptops have been around for a long time and probably have been overlooked as just another PC” said Hugo Henderson, Security and Compliance Specialist at Baronscourt Technology. “With organisations recently re-examining their network perimeter they are finding massive exposure from laptops in relation to information leakage and malware penetration”.

Only by implementing the correct processes and policies surrounding the use of laptops will these threats be minimized. Staff members do not intuitively know who to call if their laptop gets stolen. This is a critical process in organisations were a regulator places data breach notification obligations on the company.

An automated laptop policy communication tool installed on each laptop and remote user device is a quick win for IT and Compliance departments. Not only are employees reminded of their responsibilities associated with laptop use, the company benefits from a best practice approach demonstrating compliance. Using the MetaCompliance Policy Laptop solution from Baronscourt Technology, organisations can enforce the display of a laptop policy at logon and provide an audit trail of affirmation in the event of a security failure.

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