Data Loss Prevention for iPad Planned by Symantec

Symantec Corporation is planning to offer Symantec Data Loss Prevention for Tablet, a data loss prevention solution for the monitoring and protection of sensitive information on tablet computers.

Available first for the Apple iPad, Symantec Data Loss Prevention for Tablet will help solve the problem facing security organizations by providing content-aware protection for this popular new corporate endpoint. The solution is designed to maintain user productivity and protect an organization’s confidential data at the same time.

According to Symantec’s recent State of Security Survey, organizations are grappling with new security challenges stemming from the proliferation of tablets in the enterprise. Of those surveyed, 47 percent said mobile computing was making it more difficult to provide online security, and 45 percent said the "consumerization of IT" was a concern. The latter category includes new technologies that cross over from consumer to business markets, with tablets replacing laptops as the top concern. As users bring tablets into the enterprise and access the corporate network, IT is faced with the challenge of protecting sensitive business data on those endpoints.

Symantec Data Loss Prevention for Tablet will enable users to utilize the tablets they are demanding while monitoring and controlling the transmission of confidential data from these devices with content awareness. The product is designed to enable organizations to support work and personal use concurrently across corporate and personal email, web communications, and common applications available for the iPad. The protection will extend to the device and information on it irrespective of whether the user is connected via 3G or Wi-Fi. Support for the Android tablet operating system is also scheduled to be available next year.

Symantec Data Loss Prevention for Tablet will be the latest addition to Symantec DLP and Mobile Management solutions. The product is designed to let current Symantec DLP customers leverage utilizes the same policies and management infrastructure. The company also offers a set of encryption solutions ranging from disk encryption and removable storage to email and server solutions. These include the recently announced Symantec PGP Viewer for iOS. The viewer enables employees of organizations with Symantec PGP Universal Server in place to read encrypted messages on their preferred Apple iOS devices including the iPad and iPhone For example, executive team members can receive and view encrypted copies of a sales report with assurance that both its privacy and security are intact.

"With the massive growth in tablet adoptions, customers have struggled how to extend information protection to this new consumer tool as it makes its way onto the enterprise networks," said Art Gilliland, senior vice president, Information Security Group, Symantec. "Symantec Data Loss Prevention for Tablet will enable IT to better support their businesses in adopting this new technology, while also maintaining strong protections for their sensitive information."

"While CISOs and security organizations want to be seen as business enablers who embrace the newest productivity device, first they need to be able to ensure the confidential data on these devices will be protected," said Jon Oltsik, principal analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group. "The extension of DLP benefits to the newest corporate endpoint, the iPad, will help them to satisfy both sides of the equation."

Availability and Pricing
Symantec Data Loss Prevention for Tablet is expected to be available for the iPad in early 2012. The product will be priced per tablet. Support for the Android tablet operating system is scheduled to follow. Symantec PGP Viewer for iOS is an Apple iOS application available for download from the Apple App Store.