Allowing Mobile Devices In The Office - Essay Example

?ALLOWING MOBILE DEVICES IN THE OFFICE December 8, Executive summary 3 Introduction 4 Purpose 4 Scope 4 Mobile phone 4 Laptop and Notebooks 5 Personal Digital Assistant 5 Ipad 5 Black berry 6 Limitations 6 Unauthorized access 6 Easily vandalized 7 Malware infection 7 Electronic Eaves dropping 7 Tapping of electromagnetic emissions 8 Benefits of expansion 8 Cost reduction 8 Ability to work from remote locations 9 Quick response to Emergency 9 Flexibility 10 Availability 10 Improved productivity 10 Assumptions 11 Conclusion 11 References 12 Executive summary The working conditions in different organizations are changing with change in technology. This has made employing authority to change policies that guide use of mobile devices within offices. The devices discussed are personal mobile phones, laptops and tablets. Uses of the devices have been shown to justify their use in the organization. Their introduction has some advantages and disadvantages to the organizations taking up their use. Some of the disadvantages that exist are spoofing and electromagnetic emission tapping. Most of these disadvantages lead to loss of integrity of data. Remedial measures to mitigate these threats are suggested. The advantages try to improve on the working condition and productivity which are the main measures of performance to workers. Disadvantages of using mobile devices by workers are less than advantages making it more justifiable to employ their use in organizations. The introduction of mobile devices should not be allowed without any limitation being put in place. Some of the limitations are when, where and how the device should be used by employees. Introduction Mobile devices introduction will have negative and positive effects in the working environment. These devices will allow workers carry out their duty from their home or away from the office. Workers are in great support in use of these devices arguing they have a positive effect. The devices have shown great impact in improving production when used in correct way. Questions have also been asked on the risk institutions face by encouraging their use. These factors need analyzing before deciding whether to introduce the mobile devices or not. Purpose The purpose of the report is to establish whether veteran affairs will allow or reject introduction of mobile device by offices. Summary has to be made on the different devices that can be allowed and their use in the organization. Scope The scope of introduction of mobile phones should extend to only those devices that are used in organizations. The devices mostly looked at are the mobile phones, laptops and tablets. The devices use should affect the working conditions of the workers. The devices covered are discussed below. Mobile phone Almost every worker in the office environment owns a mobile phone. Critiques argue allowing workers use their mobile phone in the office premises will lower productivity. These devices give voice and data communication ability. Their portability reason can allow easier location of workers. Businesses which allow workers to use their mobile phones have policy on which place to use devices. This reduces the possibility of workers making noise to others when talking on their mobile phones. The veteran affairs should set up locations where people can use their mobile phones in the offices. This will cut stress on worker and increasing on productivity (Anindya, 2007). Laptop and Notebooks These devices are almost replacing the desktop computers in the offices. Workers like them because of their high processing speed and flexibility. Modern laptops are blue tooth and Wi-Fi enabled. This enables them to connect to the institutions network. Use of personal laptops in the workplace should be controlled but not eliminated. The veteran affairs can set up policies on access limitation using these devices. People who would like to use these devices have to join the domain of the institution. This will enable them save every work carried in their laptop in the institution servers. Access control list can be used to limit the amount of work one carry on the personal laptop. This ensures sensitive information can only be accessed using the company computers. Limitation is also enhanced on using office licensed software. Workers are not supposed to use office software in their personal computer without prior permission. Personal Digital Assistant This is a device that is used by workers to manage their work and data. The device has ability to alert workers of a missed call. Modern personal digital assistant can even connect to the institution network. The access to the network will make sure workers can use data from the company server at any moment. The veteran will have to set policy on their use to prevent misuse. Ipad The ipad has revolutionized the working environment. This is because of its ability to connect to the third generation network. The device has ability of reading word and portable document formats (pdf) documents. Managers can also do their presentation using the ipad without need of a desktop computer. The veteran affair has to restrict usage of this device in office. The devices have ability of storing a lot of information which would encourage workers to carry sensitive office documents to their homes. These devices should be allowed to the top management because of trust required (Andrew, 2008). Black berry The black berry ability of encrypting messages sent between two black berries makes it more secure. This device can be provided to top management to make sure any strategic plan or secret of the institution cannot be tapped. The ability to give secure connection will make it replace the land line telephone which exists in most offices as a means of communication. The device has a roaming capability which allows workers to use their phone number in any part of the world. This will enhance availability of the skills of these workers in the office even when they are away physically. Limitations Unauthorized access Workers personalize mobile devices when passed to them in the office. Workers will also get careless on passwords used in these devices or completely remove the password from the device. The disabling of password protection will allow an unauthorized person use them to get access to private data of the company. This infiltration is easy because of interconnection of most of these devices to the workplace internet and server. Some workers will enable password and username storage in their devices to evade typing them every day. This ability makes other people do anything using these devices without restriction. People might reach the company’s information by pretending to be the owners of a certain devices. The trust established between the server and the devices allows this person to carry out all activities that the owner of the device is capable of carrying (Andrew, 2005). Easily vandalized Portability of these devices makes them susceptible to theft. Companies allow their workers to carry these devices home. Thieves can trail workers on their way home to steal the devices. Companies do provide security to workers in their residential area but they focus on security of the working place. Malicious workers might get involved in vandalizing the company mobile devices. These workers might put them in bags and walk out with them before being noticed by the managers. Checking of workers before leaving the office end such thefts. Malware infection Mobile devices connect to the company internet. The connection will allow different workers make downloads over the internet. The download may include music, software and documents. Downloading software online may lead to virus attack on the devices. The viruses might bear names of genuine software leading to temptation of downloading (Alex, 2004). The main contributor is that most workers do not have enough knowledge in the computing field. This lack of knowledge makes them install any software they come across. Workers will also tend to use portable devices in their machines to transfer data. These devices might be infected making them spread the virus to every machine they are plugged in. Electronic Eaves dropping People when discussing sensitive business issues look around to make sure no one is listening. The electronic eaves dropping is carried out by sending spy software on the communication channel. The software will gather any information passed through the channel and pass it to the hacker. Recently research has shown people are using some software to watch their spouse. This software lets the person get information on every call made and text message sent through that phone. This software can be used by hackers by installing it in mobile devices of unsuspecting workers. Hackers might use devices that trap sound waves from far. The devices will amplify the sound to make it clear for the hacker. Eaves dropping lead to loss of institution private information (Subbu and Mark, 2008). Tapping of electromagnetic emissions Mobile devices while communicating release electromagnetic emission to their surroundings. These emissions can be tapped and used to reconstruct the initial message. The emission can also be tapped from the communication channels. To evade this situation institutions are required to make sure their communication channels release minimal emission to the environment. The other solution would be encrypting any sensitive data. The encrypted data remains safe even after falling on the wrong hands. The company can filter any mission that leaves its premised to prevent this from happening (Stephen, 2010). Benefits of expansion Cost reduction Telecommuting by use of mobile devices is gaining popularity. Having a virtual private network, where each worker can login remotely to the workplace servers enables telecommuting. The only thing required by the worker is the login credentials. Meetings can also be held through teleconferencing by using of laptops. Teleconferencing ensures people hold live video chat from different places without need of them travelling to the board rooms. The mobile device will have saved the company a lot of money on transport and allowances. Improvement in monitoring of workers Recently most portable devices have a global positioning system (GPS) locator. This locator when turned on can show in the main office the location of a certain worker. Monitoring has a positive value in that drivers or any other worker cannot negate from the line work assigned to them. A case would be a driver who is supposed to deliver cargo to New York. The driver may think of visiting Boston with the cargo before heading to New York. If the driver gets to Boston an instant message will be sent by the device to the office. Managers can fix cameras in offices to see what workers are doing when they are a way. Critics say monitoring is stressful to workers but it increases productivity. Ability to work from remote locations Collecting of data from field and updating customer information in the servers is very important. Any update made late can lead to catastrophic effect on the business. Portable devices when used will make workers to update any data when they are still in the field. This will make sure anytime the database is up to data. Research can be done using programs installed in the portable devices. Once a correspondent answers the question, it is immediately reflected in the main servers. This will allow analyst start giving provisional results awaiting completion of the research. Research carried with these devices is more accurate than one carried verbally. This is because the exact reply of the correspondent is reflected without any manipulation from the researcher. The only challenge in this scenario is to teach the correspondent how to use the devices (Chu, 2001). Quick response to Emergency Institutions must set mitigation measures to stop spreading of a risk. This mitigation is enabled by having a clear communication guideline on whom to be called in case of anything happening. These people need to be on reach twenty hours per day. There availability is enabled by having mobile devices that they carry with them any time. The institutions can buy laptops and offer unlimited internet connection to the managers. They can also be provided with a personal digital assistant (PDA). The personal digital assistant beeps when a phone calls directed to the person is left unanswered (Isaacs, Walendowski, Whittaker, Schiano and Kamm, 2002). Flexibility Change of office, comes with people moving with their personal information. The portable devices let people shifting office move with their device without having to carry the desktop computers. People might be shifting offices because of promotion or demotion. Flexibility is also enhanced when the office is relocated to a new place. The use of portable devices in the office will cut the cost of hiring the movers. Availability The ability of portable devices to use wireless net or blue tooth services ensures they are available any time need arise. Institutions might decide to hold team building meetings outside the offices which will need setup of the environment. Setting up this environment would need hiring of specialist to do the job which is expensive. These devices eliminate all this by just ensuring that the meeting is within a hotspot (Dryer, Eisbach and Ark, 2001). Improved productivity Workers comfort ability plays a major role in their production. Providing workers with the most recent technology in their working place increases their optimism. The optimistic atmosphere making them feels the need of being associated with the institution. Workers who are using portable devices feel as if no one is watching. This feeling makes them work without any fear of victimization. Modern technology has also enhanced productivity by reducing the time required to carry out a certain by a big margin. Ability to support prompt communication and data sharing among people carrying a similar activity reduces time taken to complete an activity (Mark, 2010). Assumptions There is a greater assumption that after introduction of mobile devices in different offices workers will follow principles that will be laid down by the veteran authority. The introduction of mobile devices in the organization will require change of infrastructure to accommodate them. It is assumed organizations will have financial capability to buy this technology. In reality most organizations work with a constrained budget which would not allow them make any provision for such changes. Managers are the most influential people in organization. Manager’s refusal to take up the new technology will lead to juniors rejecting introduction of the new technology. The assumption is that they will accept the technology without any resistance. Conclusion They are many benefits associated with portable device. These benefits make it necessary to introduce them in the working environment. The veteran affairs should allow their use but with some limitation to eradicate misuse. Focus on improving working conditions of workers and service delivery to the public. The other measure is educating workers on the benefit of using those devices in the right way. Education will cut resistance from worker because of change in the working environment. References Isaacs, E., Walendowski, A., Whittaker, S., Schiano, D., and Kamm, C. (2002).The character, functions, and styles of instant messaging in the workplace. Minneapolis: ACM Press. Chu, S. (2001). Designing and Delivering Information in the Wireless Space. Technical Communication, 48 ( 1), 49-58. Dryer, D., Eisbach, C., and Ark, W. (1999). A social computing view of mobile computing systems. IBM Systems Journal, 38 (4), 652–676. Andrew, H. (2008). Iphone and IOS Forensics: Investigation, Analysis and Mobile Security for Apple iphone, ipad and IOS Devices. Boston: Syngress. Alex, S. (2004). Worldwide Mobile Device Expansion 2004-2008 Forecast and Analysis. Singapore : IDC Research. Andrew, B. (2005) .Western European Mobile Devices Forecast and Analysis, 2003-2008 Update. Singapore: IDC research. Subbu, I., and Mark, B. (2008). Mobile Device Security for Dummies. New York : McGraw Hill Stephen, F. (2010).Mobile Device Security: A Comprehensive Guide to Securing Your Information in a Moving World. New York: Auerbach Publications. Anindya, B.( December 2007) Bluetooth Secure Simple Pairing, Wireless Design and Development Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/PDFs/2007/1207/wd712_coverstory.pdf. Mark, N. (2010). Australian Quarterly Mobile Device 20102014 Forecast and Analysis. Singapore :IDC. Read More