Infection potential. While the main risk today lies in data leaving the corporate network, a secondary risk lies in personal devices introducing threats to the network. PC-centric security vendors emphasize this risk. Although the threat of virus and Trojan-horse transmission is largely confined to insecure PCs or laptops today, handsets and PDAs themselves will likely also become targets of threats to IT networks in the future. IT needs to recognize this and make sure consumer-purchased technology is secured and free of viruses and Trojans.

IT should begin now to confront the issue of consumer technologies in the workplace and the desire of employees to access work-related data beyond the corporate network. The policies and technologies that enterprises deploy can take a variety of forms. For most scenarios, setting proper policies and keeping track of the latest consumer trends and devices (as opposed to prohibiting devices) will prove to be the most effective way to balance user desires with IT needs.

Michael Gartenberg is vice president and research director for the Personal Technology & Access and Custom Research groups at JupiterResearch in New York. Contact him at mgartenberg2@optonline.net. His weblog and RSS feed are at http://weblogs.jupiterresearch.com/analysts/gartenberg.