1. Cyber Security on the go
How to protect your laptop, smartphone & other mobile devices
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2. Overview Mobile devices Risks Best Practices Data Protection
Laptops
Smartphones
Portable Storage Devices
Data Protection
Location-Sharing Technologies
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3. Mobile Devices Laptops Smartphones Portable storage devices PDA’s
USB memory sticks
Thumb/flash drives
Removable hard drives
PDA’s
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4. Risks Mobile devices are easy to lose or steal
Can carry large amount of data
Often unprotected
Data may be “sniffed” during unprotected wireless communications
Results
Broken device
Infections from viruses, spyware, malware
Privacy and personal security concerns
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5. Best Practices – Good Habits
Keep it in sight, within reach, on your person.
Avoid clicking links or calling numbers contained in unsolicited s or text messages.
Know what you are downloading.
Never store sensitive or confidential information on a mobile device.
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6. Best Practices – Configure Device Securely
Enable auto-lock
Enable password protection
Keep all system/application patches up-to-date
Install anti-virus if available and keep it up-to-date
Enable Remote Wipe (if available)
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7. Best Practices – Wireless Safety
Rule of thumb – do not trust wireless to be secure!
Disable features not in use such as Bluetooth, infrared or Wi-fi
Set Bluetooth devices to non-discoverable to make them invisible to unauthenticated devices
Avoid joining unknown Wi-fi networks
Disable any “autoconnect” feature
When using public wireless hotspots only type in or view information that is not sensitive unless you create a TCU VPN session first.
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8. TCU VPN VPN – Virtual Private Network Advanced security technologies
TCU VPN is available to TCU Faculty and Staff
Go to for instructions
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9. Laptops
According to a 2008 report of the Ponemon Institute, “Business travelers lose more than 12,000 laptops per week in U.S. airports.”
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10. Laptop Video from FTC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeyKVC92AfM
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11. Laptop - physical security
Never leave unsecured laptop unattended
Lock your doors
Lock it in a cabinet
Use a locking security cable
Room/office
Hotel room
Public locations
Conferences, training sessions
Cost $15-$50, combination or key lock
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12. Traveling with a Laptop
Don’t let it out of your sight when you travel
Be particularly watchful at airport security checkpoints
Always take it in your carry-on luggage
Never put it in checked luggage
Use a nondescript carrying case
Be careful when you take a nap in the airport
Don’t leave it in view in your vehicle
Don’t trust the trunk - remember the quick release lever inside the vehicle?
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13. Smartphones
Smartphones like the iPhone, Treo or Blackberry are really small networked computers.
Run programs and can store thousands of documents in memory.
If stolen, an unsecured Smartphone grants access to your private information: correspondence, address books, and any unsecured documents.
Losing a Smartphone could be as big a security problem as losing a laptop.
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14. Smartphones continued
Never leave a Smartphone unattended
Enable auto-lock
Enable password protection
Do not use your TCU password
Keep the phone OS and apps up-to-date
Enable remote wipe
You can wipe out the data on a lost iPhone or Smartphone with Windows Mobile if the phone uses ActiveSync to synch .
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15. Remote Wipe Using Remote Wipe from Outlook Web Access
Go to Options (upper right), select Mobile Devices
Warning – this will wipe out everything on the phone
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16. Portable Storage Devices
USB memory sticks, thumb/flash drives, removable hard drives
No confidential data!
Too easy to lose; easy target of theft
“Erase” files so they aren’t recoverable
File Shredder
CCleaner
Configure a username and password
Encrypt files
Microsoft Office file encryption
TrueCrypt, Ironkey
Beware “free” flash drives. They can contain viruses and malware
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17. Data Protection
The best way to protect sensitive personal information (SPI) is to never store it on a mobile device.
SPI is defined as an individual's name, address, or telephone number combined with any of the following:
Social security number or taxpayer ID number
Credit or debit card number
Financial/salary data
Driver's license number
Date of birth
Medical or health information protected under HIPAA
Student related data protected under FERPA
See the TCU Sensitive Personal Information (SPI) Policy
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18. Data Protection Continued
Store your important files on your M: drive and use VPN with Remote Desktop (Windows) or Screensharing (Mac) to access it (see for instructions on setting up VPN).
While it is against TCU Policy to store SPI on a mobile device, if you must store your own personal information, encrypt it.
Use Microsoft Office file encryption, or
PGP’s Whole Disk Encryption 
Only transmit SPI when required for TCU business and then only in an encrypted manner such as through a TCU VPN session.
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19. Location-Sharing Technologies
Location-aware applications deliver online content to users based on their physical location.
Technologies employ GPS, cell phone infrastructure or wireless access points to identify where cell phones or laptops are located and users can share that information with location- aware applications.
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20. How are Location-Sharing Technologies used?
Apps might provide you with information on nearby restaurants, notify you of traffic jams, or let your friends in a social network know where you are, prompting increased social connectivity.
Additionally there are highly targeted marketing opportunities for retailers.
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21. Risks of Location-Sharing Technologies
Makes users “human homing beacons”
Increased chances of being stalked
May reveal when you are home or not
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22. Examples of Location-Sharing Technologies
Facebook places
The program for mobile phones allows users to "share where you are with your friends, see where your friends are and discover new places around you," said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's CEO at a press conference.
GPS Geotagging Smartphone photos
Blip – Blackberry application updates location every 15 minutes.
Latitude – Google app allows you to see where your friends are and what they are up to.
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23. Location-Sharing Technologies Security
Most apps offer privacy controls
But privacy controls are not always easy to access
Defaults may be too open
Know what applications you have and research privacy controls
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24. Recap Good Habits – common sense Configure devices securely
Understand what you are protecting
Be aware of new technologies
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25. Resources TCU Computer Help Desk Information Security Services
Location: Mary Couts Burnett Library, first floor
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