iPods pose security risk for enterprises, Gartner says

As popular as the iPod is, it's also a security problem. The latest generation iPod can store up to 40Gb. What makes a 40Gb iPod a security risk? You can use that same iPod to steal company files and even introduce viruses. So states Gartner today warning corporations that they should deploy a new policy on iPod's in the workplace.

The iPod may be popular, but also poses such a major security risk for businesses, that enterprises should seriously consider banning the iPod and other portable storage devices, according to a study by research firm Gartner Inc. The devices, using a Universal Serial Bus (USB) or FireWire (IEEE 1394), present risks to businesses on several fronts: from introducing malicious code into a corporate network, to being used to steal corporate data, the Stamford, Connecticut-based research company said in its report "How to Tackle the Threat From Portable Storage Devices," published Friday.

The report pointed to a variety of devices, including pocket-sized portable FireWire hard drives, like those from LaCie Group SA or Toshiba Corp., or USB hard drives or keychain drives, such as the DiskOnKey from M-Systems Flash Disk Pioneers Ltd. Gartner also named disk-based MP3 players, like Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod, as a security risk as well as digital cameras with smart media cards, memory sticks and compact flash.

News source: InfoWorld