To start with, a wireless device user could leave the device anywhere. The best policy is simply not to store important information on a wireless device. If this is impractical, require the use of passwords. Ross Patterson, CIO of Greenville, S.C.-based electronics manufacturer Kemet, says he can't access information on his Palm until he enters a particular series of keystrokes.
Encryption software is another possibility.
Using ultraviolet ID stamps or hidden transmitters on the devices could help recover lost valuables. And the information cannot be protected during that entire transmission. The security lapse occurs during that temporary decryption on the gateway. Even though the new version of WAP, due in 2001, will include encryption technology that covers this gap, a user company like CSX Technology still has concerns. What, asks Mudge, is to prevent a malicious interloper from building a miniature gateway in a briefcase and simply following someone.