Zenprise targets Apple iPad with data leak prevention tool

Zenprise has added data leak prevention (DLP) tools to its MobileManager enterprise mobility platform to help companies lock down access to sensitive data, specifically on newer devices such as Apple's iPad.

Zenprise Mobile DLP, available from the end of October, addresses the growing executive preference for devices such as tablets which are more convenient to use in meetings and presentations.

However, these platforms largely lack management oversight, and organisations have little or no visibility into the destination of potentially sensitive documents.

"The problem is that companies have virtually no control over what documents reside on these devices, and we call this the mobile blind spot," said Zenprise vice president of marketing Ahmed Datoo.

This is a particular problem at the top end of an organisation, Datoo claimed.

"Some customers have told us that, for board meetings, instead of having hard copies of the presentation, they are sending the file to the board members on their iPads," he said.

Mobile DLP, which is an optional add-on to Zenprise's MobileManager platform, uses a client agent that serves as a secure container on the endpoint for storing company data.

At the back end, this integrates with a corporate SharePoint site to let workers synchronise the documents they want downloaded to their device.

"When we talk to our customers, many of them are using SharePoint to access documents on their PCs, so we're just extending SharePoint with a whole series of DLP controls around any of the documents leaving SharePoint for the mobile device," explained Datoo.