Mobile Devices

Mobile computing devices, such as those in the list below, can hold a large amount of data and can be easily lost or stolen:

• smart phones,
• tablets, and
  
• laptops

Portable Storage Devices

On occasion, staff may use portable storage devices such as CDROMs, USB sticks, or external hard drives to store their work.

1.   What can happen if a mobile or portable storage device is lost?

Someone who finds your storage device can access all the confidential data stored on it.  Unauthorised access of information and data theft are the main threats due to lost storage devices.

When a mobile or portable storage device is lost, confidential information stored in the device can be disclosed to an unauthorised person.

• If you have a UniSA laptop or table PC in your office always remember to lock the room, even if you only leave for a few minutes.
• Avoid storing any confidential data or personal details on portable storage devices.
• Set access codes and always use strong passwords or access codes.
• The UniSA Information Security Policy requires staff to use encryption on sensitive data stored in mobile or portable computing devices.
  

See: Information Security Policy

2.   Other threats from portable storage devices:

If your device is infected with malware and you plug it in to any UniSA computer (or personal computer), malware can spread to the computer it is plugged into, and then subsequently on to other computers on the same network and devices plugged into them.

See: Viruses and Malware

3.   Using portable storage devices when connected to UniSA network:

Scan for viruses, worms and other threats before you access the files in storage devices.  Protect files from unauthorised access by using passwords or encryption.

See: How do I use Symantec Endpoint Protection to scan my hard drive?