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MS Exchange “remote wipe” is a terrible, terrible bug

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Re: MS Exchange “remote wipe” is a terrible, terrible bug

#61

Post by [deleted] »

ejdyksen wrote: post #40
kogir wrote: post #19

Actually, this has existed since exchange integration was first added to PocketPC (a long time ago). It allows companies to control the security of their data. Joining your personal phone to exchange is much like joining your personal computer to the corporate domain. You don't do it unless you want corporate IT to administer it and corporate policy allows it. Edit: I sympathize with people who lost data, and do agre…

Correct. Don't blame the feature. It's designed to protect from lost phones. Not only can IT wipe your phone (presumably at your request), but you can actually wipe your own phone from Outlook Web Access. What's interesting is this: the ability to hook up a phone via ActiveSync (the protocol in question) can be configured per account . If IT did not want him to hook up his phone, they should have not given him those…

[deleted]

Re: MS Exchange “remote wipe” is a terrible, terrible bug

#62

Post by jodrellblank »

blahedo wrote: post #52
pclark wrote: post #31

Uhm. Data loss is a huge deal. HUGE. This isn't an evil feature. It isn't a pointless feature. In fact it's a critical feature in the running of an organisation. Email. Calendar. Address Book. A gold mine of absurdly sensitive data. If you want corporate email on your phone, expect to have the possibility of a remote wipe. It isnt Microsofts fault that people use it maliciously. If you ask the user "do you wish to al…

> If you ask the user "do you wish to allow administrators to remote wipe your phone allow/deny?" what do you think they'll click ??? They will probably click "deny", and then not be allowed to connect to the server. Problem solved!

"Solved" unless they don't read it or don't remember it.

All you've solved is the ability for IT to say "told you so". You haven't solved the careless didn't-read-it end user from losing their data and thinking their phone is faulty.

Re: MS Exchange “remote wipe” is a terrible, terrible bug

#63

Post by jodrellblank »

extension wrote: post #35

Can someone confirm that the remote wipe actually works as described on each mobile OS? And that it can be done through a Google domain just by using their sync feature with a company account?

This is remote wipe as used by Microsoft Activesync and mobile OS's which support Activesync (Windows Mobile, iOS and Nokia with third party extensions). What do Google domains have to do with it?

Re: MS Exchange “remote wipe” is a terrible, terrible bug

#64

Post by rdouble »

jodrellblank wrote: post #63
extension wrote: post #35

Can someone confirm that the remote wipe actually works as described on each mobile OS? And that it can be done through a Google domain just by using their sync feature with a company account?

This is remote wipe as used by Microsoft Activesync and mobile OS's which support Activesync (Windows Mobile, iOS and Nokia with third party extensions). What do Google domains have to do with it?

Google for Domains uses Activesync to do push email.

Re: MS Exchange “remote wipe” is a terrible, terrible bug

#65

Post by jodrellblank »

xpaulbettsx wrote: post #5

If an IT department did this to me without warning, I'd quit that day , CC'ing my manager and the IT guy's manager telling them exactly why they'll now have to spend months finding and training my replacement.

I parked my personal car in the company fleet car garage and they clamped it. I didn't understand what was happening and called the rescue company telling them it had broken down and wasted lots of time.

This was so unfair I quit that day, causing a dramatic fuss pointing out exactly how much they'll suffer. That'll show them.

Re: MS Exchange “remote wipe” is a terrible, terrible bug

#66

Post by jodrellblank »

rdouble wrote: post #64
jodrellblank wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is remote wipe as used by Microsoft Activesync and mobile OS's which support Activesync (Windows Mobile, iOS and Nokia with third party extensions). What do Google domains have to do with it?

Google for Domains uses Activesync to do push email.

Ahh.

Re: MS Exchange “remote wipe” is a terrible, terrible bug

#67

Post by jodrellblank »

extension wrote: post #50
megablast wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it is not criminal, it is an essential component of ensuring security in lost devices. It would be completely useless if it asked if it was ok to wipe the device. If you are unable to understand that Microsoft added a lot of stuff to the exchange protocol, and this is one of them, perhaps you are in the wrong field. This is not top secret information, it has been around since Windows CE, and is requested by all b…

It's my phone, my property. Nobody gets to access it without my permission, period. If someone sneaks a back door onto my phone, that is criminal. If experienced developers don't know about this feature, there is no earthly way that the average user can be considered to have consented to access. My boss can't kick down my door and ransack my house to find secret documents he gave me. If I violate my NDA, he can seek…

It's my phone, my property. Nobody gets to access it without my permission, period.

And by connecting to ActiveSync you are telling your phone to "do ActiveSync things" and that includes letting it push policies such as "require a PIN/Password" and "be erased when needed". That you didn't know it meant that is not really grounds for saying it's criminal or whatever.

Hey, you know one earthly way you could know about this feature? Asked. "Hey IT people, can I connect my home phone to my work email? What should I know?".

Re: MS Exchange “remote wipe” is a terrible, terrible bug

#68

Post by jodrellblank »

dedward wrote: post #17
xpaulbettsx wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but you send out an Email warning people first. There's no reason to wipe people's devices unless they are willfully defying policy, and even then, you've got a list of the people doing it - just go to their office and talk to them in person (involve their manager if needed). Wiping a personal device to "send a message" is passive-aggressive and totally destructive to morale.

It's also quite likely completely illegal - warning or not. It's a personal device - the company has no rights to it.

Then it has no business being borged into the corporate IT system of a company which demands rigorous enough control of data to use remote device wipe.

Re: MS Exchange “remote wipe” is a terrible, terrible bug

#69

Post by theBobMcCormick »

ja27 wrote: post #36

Not sure about other Android versions, but my 2.2 warned me about this when I set up my Exchange account. It also warns me about this every time it first connects to Exchange after a reboot. Not much I can do about it. I more or less trust my IT guys not to be dicks so I don't lose any sleep over it. But short of carrying two phones, there's no way for me to separate personal and work devices. I do keep a nandroid ba…

Vanilla 2.2 on a Nexus One here, no such warning. :-(

Re: MS Exchange “remote wipe” is a terrible, terrible bug

#70

Post by Poiesis »

I had no idea there were so many people unfamiliar with secure networks. Anyone who is anywhere near U.S. govt classified networks knows that if they hook up their device up to one of them, they will be lucky to get their equipment sans storage media--and quite likely delivered with a pink slip.

Corporations may not have national security in mind when they protect their data but to them their data is every bit as important.

What I want to know is, can Google wipe my iPhone if I have Exchange synching? Looks like that's a "yes". How about an option to wipe my device, myself? Wouldn't mind getting that without paying for Mobile Me.

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