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Containerisation solves BYOD risks

Michelle Avenant
By Michelle Avenant, portals journalist.
Johannesburg, 02 Feb 2015
Company data can be kept safe in encrypted containers on employees' devices, says Seven Days Technologies.
Company data can be kept safe in encrypted containers on employees' devices, says Seven Days Technologies.

Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) security solutions should focus on containerisation and encryption rather than mobile device management (MDM).

So said Sean Glansbeek, director of data protection solutions provider, Seven Days Technologies, addressing mobile security issues at the Dell Solutions Tour last week.

Containerisation has become a buzzword in IT circles over the past few years, and involves separating corporate apps and data from private ones on a device, creating a clear divide between what is and is not subject to corporate policies and processes, like data wiping. It allows IT not only to secure data on a device, but also to control which apps can access that data and how those apps can share or make use of that data, he explained.

BYOD and MDM do not make a good fit where security is concerned, as MDM encroaches on users' privacy by threatening to remotely destroy their private data, Glansbeek noted. Containerisation of corporate data on users' private devices is a much better security solution because remote data changes or wipes can be restricted to within corporate containers, he continued.

Containerisation can also help companies focus their encryption efforts on the important data, Glansbeek pointed out. A properly-encrypted container should leave no loopholes, safeguarding files, e-mails, browsing and even applications, he said.

"There doesn't need to be a divide between private and work devices. Data just needs to be well-managed," Glansbeek said, stressing "a focus on the data, not the hardware". What is needed is a single security system compatible across all operating systems, he explained.

Chris Buchanan, Dell director of end-user computing in Africa, cited security concerns as one of the primary reasons SA is slow to adopt workforce mobility. SA is lagging behind the global trend (particularly in the US and Europe) of workforce mobilisation, with just under 20% of the SA workforce mobilised, he said.

"There is a gap between the harsh reality of IT requirements and the promise of mobility," Buchanan concluded.

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