Modified portable devices have the potential to create a real security headache for businesses, according to Fortify Software.
The security firm warns that specific-application devices, such as eReaders, will be targeted by software crackers. If they are successful, and the device is cracked and re-purposed, best practice principles no longer apply, according to Richard Kirk, Fortify’s European director.
Barnes and Noble’s eReader, the Nook, was recently cracked to enable it to use the full functionality of the Android mobile operating system.
“Although the Nook uses a customised version of the Android operating system, it also supports Wi-Fi and 3G cellular, which means it has connectivity with all manner of systems via the Internet,” he said. “This is why the eReader, which has already been cracked to load the Pandora Web-based music service, the Twitter application and a number of Facebook applications, has now been fully cracked to run most Android applications.”
This can present businesses with a security nightmare, as the IT department is unaware whether the cracked device complies with best practices or not.
You wouldn’t expect an IT manager to allow unchecked third-party applications to be loaded onto company desktops, so why allow a modified eReader into the office environment? Kirk said. “The problem facing IT managers is that they have no way of knowing whether a portable device like the Nook, has been modified or not, which is why we believe that cracked devices like this pose a potentially serious security risk for companies of all sizes.”
