BYOD: Secure the Network

Fortinet's Kevin Flynn on Mobile Security Strategies
We've seen user-driven trends such as BYOD before, says Kevin Flynn of Fortinet. And if organizations remember past security lessons, they will avoid falling prey to mistakes that could lead to breaches.

In many ways, today's bring-your-own-device phenomenon is akin to the 1980s, when users introduced PCs and Macs to the workplace, or the 1990s, when the Internet explosion began. IT responded to these movements by ensuring better network security. The same approach needs to happen to improve mobile security, says Flynn, Fortinet's senior manager of product marketing. It's not enough to protect mobile devices; the network needs better attention, too.

"The advice to folks is: Learn from the past; learn from what was done well ... and learn from the mistakes," Flynn says. "[BYOD] is very similar in many ways to what we've seen in the past."

There's still a place for mobile device management systems, Flynn says. Many breaches are caused by lost or stolen devices. But in addition to device security, organizations need to start treating their local area networks like wide area networks, he says.

"There are going to be all these kinds of devices coming into [the network]," he says. "They have guests coming in; they have a wide variety of operating systems and versions. And so they have to have an environment - and they have to be able to protect that environment - where some devices have the company's mobile device management software, and other devices don't."

In a pre-RSA interview about the topic of secure mobility, Flynn discusses:

  • The shift from device to network security;
  • Where organizations often go wrong in mobile security;
  • New solutions and potential results.

Flynn is senior manager, product marketing at Fortinet, where he has worldwide responsibilities for a range of Fortinet products. He has more than 15 years experience in the security industry, holding security marketing and product management positions at Fortinet and Cisco. Flynn is a frequent speaker on the topic of evolving threats and advanced security technologies at conferences and seminars worldwide.

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