Apple's move toward seamless connectivity between Mac, iPhone and iPad devices has some security experts worried, who say it will make it harder for businesses to prevent data leaks from the devices.
On Monday, Apple introduced Handoff, a new feature in the upcoming iOS 8 and Mac OS X Yosemite that will allow users to start a task on any Mac, iPhone or iPad, and finish it on another. For example, an email started on a Mac could be finished later on an iPad.
This technology will be implemented in many Apple apps, including Mail, Safari, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Maps, Calendar and Contacts. In addition, developers will be able to integrate the functionality into their own applications.
And while this feature is very useful as it makes it easier to switch from one Apple device to another, Fortinet FortiGuard Labs security researcher Richard Henderson says that it hides security risks for businesses, and that companies that follow BYOS (bring-your-own-device) policies will face the greatest risk.
“There must be adequate protection to prevent data leakage,” Henderson said.
If Apple intends to be business-friendly, then it should allow companies' IT staff to disable these features when the new operating systems are released in the fall.
“If not, then you probably need to have a very, very serious conversation about whether you want to allow iOS devices on your network,” Henderson said. “The ability for people to leak information that doesn’t belong to them is something that comes with these new technologies.”
