The use of mobile devices in the business world has become standard practice over the last few years. Even the U.S. government is on board with letting employees use their iPhones and iPads to conduct company business – as long as it has approved security clearance.
On Friday, the Defense Information System Agency (DISA) announced in a press release that it has approved Apple iOS 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide. What this means is that any product running the operating system will now be able to connect to the Department of Defense (DOD) network.
The DOD mobile strategy includes a combination of actively managed and defended mobile device management (MDM) systems. It also includes the handling of mobile applications and the defense infrastructure.
"All of these pieces must be in place to allow the secure use of commercial mobile devices on department networks," Mark Orndorff, DISA Information Assurance Executive & Program Executive Officer for Mission Assurance and Network Ops, said in the announcement. "DISA is running a pilot program today where we bring this all together."
According to the Washington Post, Apple joins Samsung and BlackBerry on the short list of commercial smartphones makers that have received clearance to be part of a BYOD solution in the Pentagon. This option reflects the growing business trend of mobile devices in the workplace.
As the DISA shows, implementing a BYOD strategy takes much more than just connecting a smartphone to the company wireless network. Businesses can partner with an IT consulting firm that is familiar with iPhone and iPad deployments to guarantee success.
