The latest version of Windows Mobile contains an architectural security flaw that is likely to be a turn-off for enterprises, a wireless analysis firm has said.In a report published last week, analyst Jack Gold of J. Gold Associates said the way Microsoft Exchange and Windows Mobile 5 handle data transfer leaves sensitive corporate data inadequately protected. The software can only transfer unencrypted data to devices, and Windows Mobile doesn’t provide any encryption options on the device, Gold said in the report, called “Microsoft’s Direct Push Insecurity.”That leaves only a password mechanism between unauthorized users and corporate data, which is unlikely to satisfy many companies’ requirements, he said. In particular, companies such as financial services firms and health-care organizations, which operate under tight regulatory restrictions, are likely to need on-device encryption.Competitors such as Good Technology, Sybase and Research In Motion allow users to encrypt files on their devices. The problem lies with AirSync, a derivative of ActiveSync used to transfer data to devices, Gold said. ActiveSync and AirSync can only transfer datasets with specific types of formatting, meaning encrypted data can’t be transferred from Exchange Server to Pocket Outlook.The data is encrypted while in transit, via an SSL link, but not on the device. “We believe that companies considering the use of Microsoft Direct Push Exchange technology should be very cautious,” Gold said in the report. Just two weeks ago, Kaspersky Labs reported that a flaw in Windows CE meant that mobile operating system was at a particularly high risk of attack.-Matthew Broersma, Techworld.com (London)Related Links: Microsoft Releases Spyware Tool While Rivals Bicker McAfee: Microsoft Not Keeping Vista Security Promises This article is posted on our Microsoft Informer page. For more news on the Redmond, Wash.-based powerhouse, keep checking in.Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content opinion Website spoofing: risks, threats, and mitigation strategies for CIOs In this article, we take a look at how CIOs can tackle website spoofing attacks and the best ways to prevent them. By Yash Mehta Dec 01, 2023 5 mins CIO Cyberattacks Security brandpost Sponsored by Catchpoint Systems Inc. Gain full visibility across the Internet Stack with IPM (Internet Performance Monitoring) Today’s IT systems have more points of failure than ever before. Internet Performance Monitoring provides visibility over external networks and services to mitigate outages. By Neal Weinberg Dec 01, 2023 3 mins IT Operations brandpost Sponsored by Zscaler How customers can save money during periods of economic uncertainty Now is the time to overcome the challenges of perimeter-based architectures and reduce costs with zero trust. By Zscaler Dec 01, 2023 4 mins Security feature LexisNexis rises to the generative AI challenge With generative AI, the legal information services giant faces its most formidable disruptor yet. That’s why CTO Jeff Reihl is embracing and enhancing the technology swiftly to keep in front of the competition. By Paula Rooney Dec 01, 2023 6 mins Generative AI Digital Transformation Cloud Computing Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe