Five keys to mobile security

• Encryption. Security software should provide some level of encryption, preferably full disk encryption. The best tools can handle a wide variety of mobile devices - laptops, PDAs, smart phones and USB memory sticks, for example.

• Directory service integration. The best tools offer hooks into an organization's directory, be it Microsoft Active Directory or another Lightweight Directory Access Protocol-compliant service. Such integration eases policy management and user authentication.

• Centralized management. The best tools provide a central console for management and administration. To date, most tools have yet to integrate fully the management of all the pieces of mobile security - laptop encryption, PDA encryption, device lockout and USB port control -from one tool and one screen.

• Detailed policy support. Some tools offer more granularity than others. For example, they may block read/write access to a CD drive but allow read-only access.

• Audit trail. The best tools provide an audit trail showing which files have been encrypted and which have been copied to USB drives or PDAs and by whom.

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