IBM is one of the largest IT firms on the planet, and based on their patent filings, the smartest tech organization in human history.  They invented large parts of modern society – from hard drives to SQL databases to cluster-computing to super-computing – Big Blue has done it all.

And even though they own some of the smartest Internet Security companies in existence, even IBM found it hard to secure it’s client data and intellectual property from Dropbox and Siri.

So, my question to you is:

‘If IBM cannot use Dropbox, iCloud or Siri safely, then what makes you think YOUR firm can use these tools without violating client privacy or losing control of your intellectual property?

If you have a BYOD policy, or tolerate BYOD, consider yourself forewarned.

Using Siri, Dropbox or iCloud (and their competitors) could lead to HIPAA violations.

From TheRegister.Co.UK:

IBM has banned employees from using Dropbox and Apple’s iCloud at work as it claws back permission to use third-party cloud services. The rethink has also resulted in a edict against the iPhone 4S’s Siri voice recognition technology at Big Blue.

Jeanette Horan, IBM’s chief information officer, told MIT’s Technology Review that the restrictions had been applied following a review of IBM’s Bring Your Own Device BYOD Policy, introduced in 2010.  IBM still supplies BlackBerrys to about 40,000 of its 400,000 employees, but a further 80,000 others now access its intranet using rival smartphones and tablets, including kit they purchased themselves. The [BYOD – ed.] initiative has not yielded anticipated cost reductions even though it has created various security headaches.

An internal survey of IBM workers discovered they were “blissfully unaware” about the security risks from popular apps, according to Horan. In some cases, staff forwarded internal corporate emails to webmail inboxes, potentially pushing sensitive information beyond Big Blue’s security perimeter.

via IBM bans Dropbox, Siri and rival cloud tech at work • The Register.