Symantec makes a push to secure iPhone, iPad and Android devices

BARCELONA, SPAIN: Symantec Corp. on Tuesday announced a major update to its mobile security and management strategy — a broad approach to provide mobile solutions for enterprises, consumers and communication service providers to secure and manage any mobile device anytime, anywhere.

The security company has also announced new security and management capabilities for Android and Apple iOS — the operating system for the iPhone and iPad — in addition to existing support for Windows Mobile, Symbian and BlackBerry. New features, including remote wipe, password policy enforcement and device inventory, enable organizations to embrace these new devices while maintaining the security and integrity of corporate information and assets.

“Symantec’s mission is to secure people and information through identity, protection and context, and our broad approach to mobile security and management is a key extension of protection for all of our customers,” said Francis deSouza, senior vice president, Enterprise Security Group, Symantec. “By providing mobile security and management for smart devices, we’re making it easier for enterprises to allow their employees to use their device of choice without putting corporate data at risk.”

Smartphone usage is growing exponentially, with new mobile device shipments expected to increase by 55 percent in 2010. In addition, Android and Apple iOS devices are expected to own 31 percent of global market share by year’s end. Increasingly the same device is being used for personal use, business use and for accessing entertainment and carrier-provided services. This fundamental shift in behavior offers tremendous productivity increases but also represents new security and management challenges for three key groups - IT organizations, consumers and communication service providers, a release said.

Enterprise Mobile Security and Management

Enterprises face unique challenges for the security and management of mobile devices as many users either bring their own personal devices into the enterprise or use their business devices for personal use. Many enterprises lack the ability to adequately support and extend access to various consumer devices, like iPhone, iPad and Android, which puts both corporate data and business communications at risk.

Symantec’s broad offering of enterprise mobile solutions helps organizations embrace the consumerization of IT by allowing users to select the devices of choice while enforcing governance, securing corporate data and gaining visibility and control of all mobile platforms. These solutions give administrators the ability to centrally define and distribute security policies to devices over-the-air. Symantec’s solutions for enterprise mobile security and management include:

Device Management: Symantec Mobile Management

Device Security: Symantec Endpoint Protection Mobile Edition, Symantec Network Access Control Mobile Edition

Device Encryption: PGP Mobile, PGP Support Package for BlackBerry

Strong Authentication: VeriSign Identity Protection (VIP) Access for Mobile, VeriSign Device Certificate Services

Consumer Mobile Security

One of consumers’ key challenges with mobile devices is their inability to adequately protect personal information when a device is lost, stolen or compromised by a threat. To help consumers, Symantec recently unveiled Norton Everywhere, aimed to take Norton beyond the PC and extend trust to new devices and consumer applications. Norton Everywhere combines Symantec’s consumer security, backup and infrastructure technologies with partners to deliver Norton services to consumers in an entirely new way. This initiative means that consumers can trust the protection of Norton everywhere — across many locations, devices and digital experiences. Existing offerings under Norton Everywhere include Norton Mobile Security for Android and Norton DNS, which is available for any device from the iPad to game consoles and Wi-Fi routers.

Communication Service Providers Mobile Security

Communication service providers value mobile security innovations because it drives a higher quality experience for their customers while simultaneously reducing their operating costs. Symantec will soon be offering new solutions that allow providers to better secure networks; better manage policy enforcement and user preferences; and increase profitability by boosting customer satisfaction to prevent churn and reducing costs associated with network misuse, malware proliferation and spam.

Symantec’s enterprise and consumer mobile solutions are now available and the communication service provider solutions are scheduled to be available in Winter 2010.