Securing mobile devices in the enterprise remains one of the biggest challenges and headaches for corporate IT administrators. In a day and age when iPhones and BlackBerrys are just as common as desktop PCs and conference rooms, protecting all these mobile devices from outside intruders has never been more critical.
Symantec thinks it might have a good first step. eSecurity Planet delves into its Symantec Mobile Reputation Security (SMRS) prototype, a solution that company officials are calling a “next-generation solution” to mounting mobile security issues.
The rise of Web-based applications and others that tap more open mobile operating systems present a potential, Symantec would say inevitable, problem for carriers. Openness creates an opportunity for malware creators and even so-called “badware” applications that are poorly designed and can actually impact network performance.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Symantec showed off a new approach to mobile security here at company headquarters during a media event this week. Symantec Mobile Reputation Security (SMRS) is a prototype for what the company calls a next-generation solution to mobile security developed by its research labs.
John Kelly, Symantec’s (NASDAQ: SYMC) senior director of technology and business development, said mobile security requires a unique approach that both preserves open access to applications and provides assurance that those applications are safe to run.
“Symantec believes the future of mobile operating systems is openness and open APIs,” he said. “Today, the applications are pre-vetted by companies like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) for the iPhone, but in the future that will change with Android and others.”