Most people understand that cell phones and, particularly, smart phones, are a “Kind of a Big Deal” (to use the modern vernacular). Suffice it to say anybody who doesn’t have an iPhone, a BlackBerry, an Android device, or some other powerful mobile data device tends to be the odd man out at a party. The devices are even more prevalent in the business world, where they’re essentially ubiquitous.

But while the devices proliferate, their capabilities increase, and that actually brings a significant risk, since a single smart phone with a meager 8 GB of storage can carry enough proprietary, secret, sensitive, or otherwise private data to just about destroy a business–when the phone falls into the wrong hands. Thus, businesses and consumers alike are waking up to the risks of those handy gadgets.

Businesses must lead the way in managing the risk, and Paul Korzeniowski over at InformationWeek has a nice, short article entitled “Five Steps to Managing Mobile Devices.” It’s worth a read, and business owners and managers must start by getting over the psychological hump–you can manage the devices or, at the very least, you can make some decent headway to at least reduce your risk.

Here are Korzeniowski’s steps, in summary (please read the full article):

Step 1: Inventory Employee Mobile Devices

Step 5: Move To More Sophisticated Applications

Once again, here’s that link to the full article–worth a few minutes’ read. And, while we’re at it, it’s worth noting that insuring these devices is a very, very good idea as well. And it’s very affordable. See MyLaptopGPS Premier Partner Safeware Insurance for more information.