As federal workers embrace mobility — and entrust their devices with more and more data — the need to establish effective mobile policies and security practices becomes increasingly urgent. FedScoop’s senior technology reporter Carten Cordell had a chance to sit down with Kiersten Todt, president and managing partner of risk management consulting firm Liberty Group Ventures, to get her perspective on both the opportunities and risks presented by mobility in the federal space.
Todt began by emphasizing the power our mobile devices now hold; more and more, they are used to store all of an individual’s professional and personal data. She argued that mobile devices have become more important endpoints than desktops or laptops to secure, especially when you account for the increased threat surface area the devices and data represent.
Advocating adoption of mobile devices is no longer the challenge, Todt explained; rather, it is ensuring the security of our devices keeps pace with the content we are storing on them. From a government perspective, Todt believes there should be a consistent federal policy for mobile solutions, as well as agents on devices that detect malicious activity and risky user behavior. She envisions a far-reaching initiative that would require the pooling of federal and industry resources to ensure government devices are secure. As I’ve written before, security frameworks must remain flexible, scalable and technically capable enough to address evolving threats.
Security aside, Todt also sees incredible potential in emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR): “I’ve been really impressed in learning more about what Samsung is doing on virtual reality for our armed forces … how we can start to train and exercise through virtual reality — both our forces as well as government in general.” A key benefit of training through virtual reality tools such as the Samsung Gear VR is the ability to simulate what we know, and to anticipate future scenarios.
Watch the video to learn more about Todt’s perspective on securing the mobile federal workforce, and stay tuned to Samsung Insights’ federal government coverage for the latest issues in government technology.
