As a travel agent, your information often is the intrinsic value of your business; think pricing, destination information, staff contacts,  booking information and client contact details.  

Protecting that information with security systems, anti-virus software and backups is recognised as important on your personal computer or laptop. But what about devices like smartphones and tablets interacting with your carefully protected systems?

Many businesses are not aware that these devices can pose a number of security issues that need to be considered.

The most obvious is “physical” security.
 
Portable devices are more prone to being stolen or lost and the information they contain can therefore be compromised. Less obviously, consider social media sites, whose business model relies on encouraging sharing of as much information as possible.

Do you know what information your staff's devices might be unwittingly making available to others?  Have they signed up to an app that gives it the right to publish information on their behalf?

How about the connections your staff may make into other companies' networks and allowing non-company devices to connect to yours. There could be inadvertent - or deliberate - transfer of information between these networks.

If you and your competitors both interact with the networks of common clients or suppliers, this could seriously compromise your intellectual property.

But all is not lost; here's five tips to consider when using mobile devices in your business:

• Put a policy in place – it’s cheap, simple, communication based and has a great chance of making a positive impact
• Be aware of what information is on your staff's devices
• Have a plan to deal with loss or theft, such as device wiping
• Consider controlling access to information sharing applications
• Take precautions if sharing networks with customers or suppliers