The Dilemma of PDA Security: An Overview

Personal Digital Assistants ('PDAs') are everywhere these days. Typically they are some type of small hand-held device that combines computing functions with telephone/fax and networking features. Even cellular phone companies have gotten into the act by combining hand-held computer technology with their existing products which is one of the major reasons for the meteoric rise in the use of cellular phones. In fact PDA technology is becoming so prevalent that industry analysts predict that by 2003 there will be more than one billion 'smart devices' connected wirelessly with more than half of that figure being web-enabled. However the primary attributes of the PDA (its portability ease of use and wireless capabilities) are also what turn them into the proverbial 'two-edged sword'. Its strengths are what make them so easily susceptible to being lost or misplaced and also make them easy targets for thieves hackers and industrial pirates. Studies have shown that PDA devices have a 30% loss rate. The ramifications of a breach of PDA security on PDA users their clients patients and employers can be extremely detrimental. It is crucial to be proactive and install redundant levels of security at all of the PDAs vulnerable points