IBM security service
By Sumir Singh

IBM is unveiling a new service to help businesses secure the exploding number of mobile devices with access to corporate data. The new IBM Hosted Mobile Device Security Management service extends the company's existing mobility portfolio to include a security application for smartphones and tablets, along with managed services including policy management and user compliance monitoring.

The service helps organizations protect against data loss and other risks caused by device theft, unauthorized access, malware, spyware, and inappropriate applications. It is designed to help mitigate security risks associated with the increasing number of employee-owned and corporate-liable mobile devices accessing sensitive business data. Delivered as a hosted, managed service, clients can put these controls into action without the need to deploy and manage systems or to make a major investment of in-house personnel and technology.

With this new service, IBM provides the security controls and ongoing monitoring for each device as a managed service, allowing IT departments to support a broad range of personal devices. Unlike other services focused on device management or unmanaged technology, IBM is focused on the protection of the device, regardless of the business applications used by employees today or in the future.

Capabilities in the new mobile device security management service include:

- Configuring employee devices to comply with security policies and actively monitoring to help ensure compliance over time
- Securing data in the event that a device is lost or stolen
- Helping to find a lost or stolen device - wherever it is
- Protecting against spyware and viruses
- Detecting and removing malicious and unapproved applications
- Monitoring and tracking user activity
- Enabling more secure connectivity