Securing database-to-database communications - Implementing Database Security and Auditing - page 263

Figure 8.18
Applications using
mobile devices.
and configure systems, give price quotes, and service systems while on a
customer site, and more.
The application world has adapted quickly to develop mobile applica-
tions. This includes hardware, software, and infrastructure. From a hard-
ware perspective many new devices, such as hardened laptops, PDAs, and
even phones are used as application terminals (see Figure 8.18). From a
software perspective, all of the main software vendors, including IBM,
Microsoft, Oracle, and Sybase, offer robust and complete environments for
developing and running applications on these devices. In terms of infra-
structure, a lot of investment has been made in communications networks
to enable communications between these terminals and the back-end serv-
ers, including private radio networks, cellular companies, mainstream data
communication providers, satellite communications, and even hotspots in
airports and Starbucks cafés.
Mobility is a broad domain, and security for mobile computing devices
and applications is too—and certainly not within the scope of this topic.
However, one aspect of database security is especially relevant in an envi-
ronment using mobile applications, and specifically mobile business appli-
cations that use corporate data (e.g., mobile workforce management
solutions, mobile sales force automation solutions).