Making Sure Apple iPad, iPhone Access is Secure

Given the popularity of the Apple iPad and the Apple iPhone a lot of organizations are now trying to figure out how to let users of these devices access company resources. To address an issue that will become even more acute after the holidays, SonicWALL has made available via the Apple iTunes Store an application that allows users of these devices to connect to a server using a standard Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connection. 

SonicWALL Mobile Connect for iOS can be used to securely access any SonicWALL firewall or security gateway. Moreover, SonicWALL software running on iOS allows the SonicWALL security infrastructure to prioritize which application gets access to corporate network and server resources, says Patrick Sweeney, SonicWALL vice president of product management and corporate marketing.

Once the relationship is established between the Apple mobile computing device and the SonicWALL security platform, an icon appears on the device that allows the end user to access those resources. The goal, says Sweeny, was to create an approach to managing security on these devices that was “brain-dead” simple enough for anybody to access via a URL.

In the absence of any anti-virus software for Apple devices, the SonicWALL firewalls and gateways also can be used to extend the AV and software running on the SonicWALL platforms out to the Apple devices, he says.

While Apple devices today are not subject to much in the way of security attacks, their growing popularity makes it probable that in time it will become an issue. At the same time, most compliance regulations don’t make exceptions for the type of mobile computing device being used.

As the bring your own device (BYOD) movement continues to gain momentum, IT organizations of any size are struggling with how to manage and secure these devices. Arguably, the best way is the one that makes it easiest for end users to easily install an application they can simply set and forget.