The proliferation of mobile devices from laptops to smartphones and tablets, has changed the basic profile of digital security threats facing organizations of all sizes. Whereas at one time the focus was on end-point or border security such as firewalls, with the implicit presumption that everything inside the firewall was secure, today a growing population of devices move physically in and out of the boundaries of the company network, past the firewalls and other edge security devices, daily. Any of those can at any time carry sensitive information, such as the identification and credit ratings of corporate customers, outside company walls and firewalls, and bring malware of all kinds in from the outside.

This environment, says security expert John Casaretto in his latest article, Security in Mobility – a primer, requires a reevaluation of the company’s entire security strategy, starting with its written policies and procedures. Actually, he says, those written policies are an excellent starting point, and often what IT security wants to do is to extend those, and particularly the policies concerning desktop computers, to mobile devices to the extent possible.

Casaretto provides a step-by-step examination of the important components of the full organizational security program, applicable to any organization from a major corporation, government agency or NGO, to a small entrepreneurial firm. He looks at how each needs to change or be extended in the age of computer mobility.

While it obviously cannot cover every issue or problem in depth (books have been written on some of these) this article provides a strong overall structure for analyzing and, where necessary, changing and strengthening, your company’s IT security system. It should be required reading for all company IT security officers.