VA's Plan for Mobile Device Security

Roger Baker, CIO at the Department of Veterans Affairs, outlines the department's mobile device security strategy, providing details on the rollout of iPhones and iPads. The VA expects to accommodate the use of as many as 100,000 iPads and iPhones within 18 months, including a mix of government-owned and personal mobile devices, Baker says.

"We really see a substantial clinical use for the newer mobile devices," he says in an interview with HealthcareInfoSecurity. "And I would expect to see, in the long run, a phase out of desktop computers and a phase in of mobile devices."

Until the VA began rolling out the Apple devices on Oct. 1, the only mobile devices VA staff could use to access information were BlackBerry smart phones and laptops. That's because these devices were best-equipped to accommodate the necessary security provisions, including encryption, Baker says...