Experts, please help me with a response about security issues for the iPhone.

diablojota

diablojota

Doctoral Student
Just Say NO to iPhone

You are going to be asked (or already have been) to hook up the iPhone to your network's email system in some way. The problem is that the only protocol the iPhone supports is IMAP and that just does not cut it. The iPhone cannot work like a RIM BlackBerry or Windows Mobile. There is no built-in sync with Outlook that is secure enough. It does not work with Lotus Notes either. I think that is a major omission of Apple's part and they should know better if they want to sell to the business community.

For the moment the iPhone is is an attractive, expensive consumer device. Keep it out of your networks until Apple licenses software from either RIM or Redmond to act like a Blackberry or Windows Mobile. Another major drawback is that an iPhone user needs an iTunes registration, which means a music directory on the user's desktop (or lord forbid on the network share). That's a disk space problem and legal can of worms as which of these songs are stolen or violate copyright? Apart from all the above, block any other access because these things can slurp down a good chunk of corporate confidential data. Just say no. Alternatives that -are- recommended are for instance the new BlackBerry Curve 8300, and the Nokia N95.
 
As long as it works fine with my mac's, I don't care about outlook, lotes notes or whatever, because those applications are not secure itself...

By the way, the company I work for is dumping Lotes notes because of the time that users have to put into it, it's very slow and yes, databases can grow very big... Lotes notes also has had the best time....

We'll get back outlook, so no big advantage, but anyway... :)
 
Actually, the question that I really have is with regards to the second paragraph. It won't sync with Outlook, and many people who are buying this device won't have macs at work. Now, that said, I think most email configurations are either POP3 or IMAP, so I can't figure out why the phone would need RIM/blackberry rubbish? In essence I think checking my email on the iPhone would be just the same as me doing so on my laptop, not like using a Crackberry.
 
Is there any particular reasoning behind this, Diablo? Why does IMAP "just not cut it"? Its certainly more secure than BlackBerry, and unlike the Blackberry requires no new infrastructure for your corporate network, is an openly accepted email standard, and can be tunnelled through secure network connections, which I think you'll find the iPhone will support.

Apple have already stated that it will sync with "Address Book or Entourage on a Mac, or Outlook or Outlook Express on a PC". As a former helpdesk tech for Big Blue I can proudly say that Lotus Notes can go jump for all I care.

Apple has also stated that "iPhone works with the most popular email systems — including Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL, and .Mac Mail.... iPhone also works with almost any industry-standard POP3 and IMAP email system." and, interestingly they've noted that it syncs your mail settings from Outlook on PC or Mail on Mac, which would suggest that all of the connection options available in Mail.app are supported on iPhone.

Just say no. Alternatives that -are- recommended are for instance the new BlackBerry Curve 8300, and the Nokia N95.
Click to expand...

And these are different why? Do they not access email services? Do they not allow users to "slurp down a good chunk of corporate confidential data"?

Get over yourself. From the viewpoint of the network administrator, the iPhone is essentially just another Mac on the network, albeit with wireless access. If you think that iPhone will break your network's security, you need to take a good hard look at your network again.

Edit: It looks like you're quoting someone else, and you pretty much disagree with them. I hope I haven't caused offense.
 
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