Anything short of keeping a computer locked in a room with no network connection represents a security risk. From the moment the device is plugged in and connected to a network, you begin to trade security for functionality. It's always a balancing act, and one that requires you to determine how much functionality you are willing to sacrifice for increased security or vice versa. "Wireless, remote access and outsourcing solutions present many key barriers to security and, if not managed correctly, can expose a corporate network to unlawful intrusion. These threats, however, can be avoided if the proper precautions are taken," says Wreski. . . .
There is a saying in IT that the only truly secure computer is one that's turned off. Because this isn't practical or feasible, data security becomes yet another unavoidable part of doing business in today's wired world. Simply put, data security is the protection of data from unauthorized, accidental, or deliberate modification, destruction, or disclosure.

Because security is a process, not a product, it is principally an individual responsibility. No amount of regulation can ensure security without individual cooperation. Organizations today must not only protect their data from internal harm, but from harm within the myriad networks to which it is connected. The scope of those networks has resulted in the largest number of potential security holes to date. They include threats to wired and wireless networks via attacks by hackers and by new virus types.