IT Baseline Protection Manual - The Information Warfare Site

Safeguard Catalogue - Communications Remarks
____________________________________________________________________ .........................................
S 6.72 Precautions relating to mobile phone failures
Initiation responsibility: Head of IT Section, IT Security Management
Implementation responsibility: Head of IT Section, users
There are a number of reasons why a mobile phone could fail or its
operational capability could be impaired. This is of course particularly
annoying when the mobile phone is needed urgently or the result of its being
unoperational is that important data is lost. Therefore appropriate precautions
should be taken in advance to avert the possibility of failure or at least
minimise any problems which this will entail.
The state of charge and functional condition of the mobile phone battery
should be checked at regular intervals (see also S 4.115 Safeguarding the
power supply of mobile phones).
All data stored on the mobile phone such as telephone directory entries,
messages etc should be saved to a different medium at regular intervals so that
in case of doubt they can be reconstructed. A number of possibilities are
available here:
- The most important settings, PINs and the configuration of security
mechanisms should be documented in writing and stored securely to reflect
the relevant protection requirements.
- All data which is stored on the SIM card, e.g. telephone directories, can be
read into a PC with a SIM card reader and appropriate software and
managed there. This has the further advantage that address data is easier to
maintain and synchronise with other address databases on a PC than on a
mobile phone. In particular, where several mobile phones are used (see
also S 2.190 Setting up a mobile phone pool) it is appropriate to use such
means to make sure that all telephone directories are consistent with each
other. If only the data on the SIM card is backed up, all the users must be
informed that they should always save call numbers and similar there.
- The mobile phone can also be coupled with another IT system, e.g. a
notebook or organiser, which in turn is then used to exchange the data to be
backed up (see also S 5.81 Secure transmission of data over mobile
phones). Here, the data held both on the SIM card and also in the phone
itself can be backed up.
If it is important that a mobile phone is available at all times, a spare mobile
phone, or at least a spare battery, should be carried too.
Where mobile phones play a critical role in the generation of alarms, e.g. if an
intruder detection device sends alarm messages over GSM or emergency
personnel are to be informed by mobile phone, a contingency option must
always be available.
Repairs
When a mobile phone develops a fault, it could be that the entire device fails
or only individual components. Repairs should only be undertaken by trusted
specialist businesses. For this reason, a list of appropriate specialist businesses
should be available.
____________________________________________________________________ .........................................
IT-Baseline Protection Manual: Oktober 2000
Power supply
Regular data backups
Keep a spare phone
handy