iOS 5.1 Coming Soon?

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2128504/apple-seeds-ios-51-developers

I personally had a lot of success with upgrading my 3GS to 5.0.1.  It fixed a lot of the response issues I experienced with 5.0.

Data in the Mobile World

I have been part of multiple discussions with customers lately that center around mobile computing.  The dramatic enhancement to features and functionality we are seeing in the tablet devices, relatively low cost of smart-phones, increases in mobile network speeds and other factors are all contributing to this renewed interest many are expressing in mobility.  The dominant communications method among mobile users is still email, but we are also seeing social capability and functions in every major vendor’s smart phone and tablet.

Freeing the workforce from the physical constraints of an office environment has many benefits.  I am sure we can find case studies on employee satisfaction, productivity, etc that all speak favorably about mobile computing and enabling multiple means of access to corporate data and services.  This freedom, however, cannot sacrifice the security you have developed around your sensitive data.

Increasing demands and restrictions on data security is an ever present concern among security officers in the industry.  They always need to know who is seeing what information, and should they be seeing it.  Mobile devices make it easier for data to be stolen by simply lifting the device or eavesdropping on someone’s screen.  I can’t tell you how many times I have noticed someone in an airport concerning them selves with the goings on of someone else’s laptop close by.

So how do we address this concern?

The answer is not to ignore mobility.  If you try that approach, your users will find ways to work around your security measures and gain whatever level of mobility they can.  This could be far greater of a risk as you will have no governance over the devices or data, nor will your users be educated about handling the responsibility you are now entrusting them with.

The balance of accessibility and security is an age old issue facing IT professionals.  The approach needs to be a strategic and logical one.  I would suggest generating a data security matrix, outlining the disposition of each type of data your organization deals with.  You may already have such a document, but unless it includes a few data points specifically related to mobile access, I would consider it incomplete.

I would setup the matrix to include the following, at least, as an example:

• Data Owner (Who is responsible for the content and access to it?)
• Data Maintainers (Contributors to the content that may not be the owner.)
• Proprietary Yes / No?
• Confidentiality
• Scope of Confidentiality (Individual, Role-Based, Groups, Organization Wide?)
• Regulated Data (What regulations and requirements are put on the data?)
• Penalty of Infraction
• Storage Requirements
• Encryption / Encoding
• Data Expiration / Maintenance Cycle
• Elimination Procedures
• Recovery Procedures
• Scope of Access (On site, Remote, etc.)

As this data matrix is developed, I aim to address as many use cases as possible.  I think about the users and their roles, where they work, the devices they use, and the type of interaction they have with the data.  Paying particular attention to the sensitive and regulated data.  As the use cases become more defined and the sensitivity of the data is established, appropriate procedures for handling the data becomes evident.

I find this logical approach to allowing alternate means of access to enterprise data a very intelligent use of time and resources.  Remaining ahead of user demands in this area often discourages users from finding means of working around the restrictions in place and posing a greater threat than necessary to your organization.

As with almost any security initiative, as most will agree, there is no real substitute for end user training and education.  Empowering your mobile users with the knowledge and tools necessary to keep them selves and your data safe as they roam about the world is another critical component to a comprehensive approach to this demand on your IT organization.

I hope this has given my readers a few useful pointers, or at least opened up the discussion a bit more to help keep everyone safe.  As a leading airline says, “You are free to roam about the country!”

- Happy and Safe Travels!

Traveler for Droid is Here!

The wait is over, time to schedule your upgrades.
Now available - Lotus Notes Traveler for Android

Lotus Traveler Open Mic

Attending the LTS OM call this morning with over 310 of my closest friends.  As many are, I am sure, I am looking forward to the new Android support and hope to have some more clarity around this specifically.  It has not shipped as of the time of the call, but is described as “vary close”. 

We started with a brief overview of what Traveler is, reiterating it’s place as the mobile solution within the Domino-based solution group.  Specifically, this is the PIM and email sync component bringing those services to mobile devices, tablet devices, etc.

After reviewing the features, we discussed the system requirements.

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27007909

Device support and versions were also covered, which you can also find in the link above.  The list of “whats new” in 8.5.2 was then reviewed.

The chat from the meeting is linked at the bottom.  It contains some good questions and answers. 

Android support will be limited to 2.x devices with the next FP release, 8.5.2.1.  Still on target for this quarter, which we are running out of.  The 8.5.2.1 is a full replacement like previous updates, and it will also provide fixes etc. as you would expect.

Key Questions

Q – Syncing custom “shared” address book to devices via Traveler.
A – It is an often requested requirement, but not in the product at this time.  IBM is investigating how this is administered and gathering requirements for some sort of feature to cover this.

Q – iPhone PIM sync options to be centrally administered.
A – IBM indicated this will require cooperative effort with Apple.  There is some of this in design, but not in the product at the moment.  It is in the top 10 list of requested features with no ETA.

Q – Blackberry device support?
A – Response seems to indicate that IBM will not compete against the BES.  We know there is now a no-cost BES solution for small groups.

Q – Support for Windows Mobile 7 devices.
A – WM7 is not supported in the 8.5.2.1 release.  IBM is reviewing the demand and will look at adding it in future releases.

Q – Prevent Traveler from being used on devices that have been Jailbroken.
Q – Apple can not reliably detect this.  IBM, therefore can not build this into the technology.  They suggest using policy to make Jailbroken phones “illegal” in the enterprise.  On-going issue.

Links

Presentation

Chat Log

Traveler for Droid

The news is out.  Ed Brill posted a commitment to delivering Droid support in the middle of December.  I know there are many people anticipating this release.  I was a bit bummed that we missed the mid-quarter projection, but I suppose it is better late and right than on time and riddled with obvious bugs.  Here is a link to Ed’s post.

http://www.edbrill.com/ebrill/edbrill.nsf/dx/lotus-notes-traveler-for-android-will-be-a-holiday-present