Pod Slurping

The most popular MP3 player, the Apple iPOD has sold 60 Million units since 2001. In addition to the iPOD there are many different and competing products in the portable music player space.

From a security standpoint the one thing they have in common is the ability to be plugged into a computer and copy huge amounts of data, possible confidential data, onto the device in a matter of a few minutes. This can be done very discreetly and easily.

A common misconception is that if the outside perimeter of your network is secured, with Firewalls and Routers, then your network is safe. Very little thought is given to the security of computers and data inside the perimeter and yet around 50% of all security breaches occur from inside the corporate firewall.

This is a very real problem, with no easy solution. If you are in charge of security for your organisation then it’s a problem you will want to address as it will not go away. There portable devices are getting smaller and their capacity is increasing.

One solution I am currently looking at is EndPointSecurity from GFI. It is not cheap, but then it probably costs a lot less than trying to fix the problems caused by your confidential data getting into the hands of your competitors.

“There’s a 4:30 in the morning now?” - Bart Simpson