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Wiping your company's email, sure. But you don't seem to have a problem with wiping the entire contents of someone's personal device and (if I read the article

Wiping your company's email, sure. But you don't seem to have a problem with wiping the entire contents of someone's personal device and (if I read the article correctly) rendering that device unusable thereafter (after a restore it remote wipes again) Would you be happy with just an email wipe, if that option were available?

kogir 16y ago
After the remote device wipe completes the device is usable again unless they try to link to exchange again. In the cases I talked about they shouldn't be joining again. In most cases there is more than just email, and the line between exchange and personal blurs. How do you remove the exchange data from a contact originating from exchange but updated with Facebook data? What about company restricted WiFi passwords? Attachments saved outside of the mail program? It's complicated, and when properly used: a last resort. Edit since I can't reply below: Linking with activesync is optional. The policies are part of the bargain. Your examples either weren't optional (RIAA) or were things you'd choose not to do (EA).
- cubicle67 16y ago
  There seems to be two quite distinct scenarios where this could be used; when a phone is stolen, or when an employee is no longer trusted with company data (they're fired or leave) For the first scenario, I see no problem at all with remote wipe, but I do have a problem with the assumption that deliberate destruction of personal data is acceptable, for any reason. What if an employee had some paperwork at home? Would you condone burning their house to destroy it? Is a car bomb appropriate to destroy a briefcase left in a car? What right does anyone have to destroy other people's property in the course of protecting their own? Would you support game manufacturers like EA being able to remote wipe your computer if they suspected you of running a pirate copy of a game? The RIAA if they suspect you of torrenting?
  - tptacek 16y ago
    You're hyperventilating. Nobody has ever suggested that the RIAA or EA be able to wipe your phone. But plenty of companies have a policy that says that if you want to sync your phone with their corporate mail system, they need to be able to nuke your phone from orbit if something goes wrong. When you find the example of the company that requires you to purchase a personal phone and sync it with their corporate mail server, you be sure and let us know. Until then, by all means, scream from the rooftops that this feature exists... but don't pretend there's no valid reason for it.
    - cubicle67 16y ago
      hyperboling might be a better verb :) Looks like cross-cultural communication via a text only medium has meant you've completely missed both the tone and the content I was trying to present. Sorry about that
    - orangecat 16y ago
      Nobody has ever suggested that the RIAA or EA be able to wipe your phone. Orrin Hatch: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/2999780.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/2999780.stm. but don't pretend there's no valid reason for it. If my house has been broken into before, there's a "valid reason" for me to install a tripwire that automatically fires a shotgun blast at the intruder. That won't go over well in court, and neither should this.
      - russss 16y ago
        Let me know when there's actually been an instance of a third party being able to wipe my phone, and I'll consider it as a problem.

kogir 16y ago

After the remote device wipe completes the device is usable again unless they try to link to exchange again. In the cases I talked about they shouldn't be joining again. In most cases there is more than just email, and the line between exchange and personal blurs. How do you remove the exchange data from a contact originating from exchange but updated with Facebook data? What about company restricted WiFi passwords? Attachments saved outside of the mail program? It's complicated, and when properly used: a last resort. Edit since I can't reply below: Linking with activesync is optional. The policies are part of the bargain. Your examples either weren't optional (RIAA) or were things you'd choose not to do (EA).

cubicle67 16y ago
There seems to be two quite distinct scenarios where this could be used; when a phone is stolen, or when an employee is no longer trusted with company data (they're fired or leave) For the first scenario, I see no problem at all with remote wipe, but I do have a problem with the assumption that deliberate destruction of personal data is acceptable, for any reason. What if an employee had some paperwork at home? Would you condone burning their house to destroy it? Is a car bomb appropriate to destroy a briefcase left in a car? What right does anyone have to destroy other people's property in the course of protecting their own? Would you support game manufacturers like EA being able to remote wipe your computer if they suspected you of running a pirate copy of a game? The RIAA if they suspect you of torrenting?
- tptacek 16y ago
  You're hyperventilating. Nobody has ever suggested that the RIAA or EA be able to wipe your phone. But plenty of companies have a policy that says that if you want to sync your phone with their corporate mail system, they need to be able to nuke your phone from orbit if something goes wrong. When you find the example of the company that requires you to purchase a personal phone and sync it with their corporate mail server, you be sure and let us know. Until then, by all means, scream from the rooftops that this feature exists... but don't pretend there's no valid reason for it.
  - cubicle67 16y ago
    hyperboling might be a better verb :) Looks like cross-cultural communication via a text only medium has meant you've completely missed both the tone and the content I was trying to present. Sorry about that
  - orangecat 16y ago
    Nobody has ever suggested that the RIAA or EA be able to wipe your phone. Orrin Hatch: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/2999780.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/2999780.stm. but don't pretend there's no valid reason for it. If my house has been broken into before, there's a "valid reason" for me to install a tripwire that automatically fires a shotgun blast at the intruder. That won't go over well in court, and neither should this.
    - russss 16y ago
      Let me know when there's actually been an instance of a third party being able to wipe my phone, and I'll consider it as a problem.