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Mobile Device Security and Storage Media Management

Last Reviewed: 2025-02-17:19:44:43-UTC

APS recognizes that media containing sensitive data may be reused when appropriate steps are taken to ensure that all stored sensitive data has been effectively rendered inaccessible. Destruction/disposal of sensitive data shall be carried out in accordance with federal and state law. The schedule for destruction/disposal shall be suspended for sensitive data involved in any open investigation, audit, or litigation.

APS utilizes virtual storage repositories to store production data. Volumes and repositories utilized by APS and APS Customers are encrypted. APS does not use, own, or manage any mobile devices, removable storage media, or backup tapes that have access to sensitive data.

Policy Statements

APS policy requires that:

(a) All media, including mobile and removable media, storing APS company data must be encrypted.

(b) Critical data as defined in APS data classification model §data-management may not be stored on mobile devices or removable media such as USB flash drives.

(c) All destruction/disposal of sensitive data storage media will be done in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations and pursuant to the APS’s written retention policy/schedule.

  • Records that have satisfied the period of retention will be destroyed/disposed of in an appropriate manner.
  • Records involved in any open investigation, audit or litigation should not be destroyed/disposed of.

(d) All sensitive data must rendered inaccessible in a forensically sound manner prior to media reuse or disposal.

(e) Mobile devices, including laptops, smart phones and tables, used in support of critical business operations shall be fully managed and/or audited by APS IT and Security.

Controls and Procedures

Media Disposal Process

IT and Security is responsible to ensure media containing critical / sensitive data is disposed securely in the following manner:

  • The methods of destruction, disposal, and reuse are reassessed periodically, based on current technology, accepted practices, and availability of timely and cost-effective destruction, disposal, and reuse technologies and services. This may include

    • Secure wipe;
    • Physical destruction;
    • Destruction of encryption keys (if the data on the media is encrypted using a strong algorithm such as AES-256).

  • If the records have been requested in the course of a judicial or administrative hearing, a qualified protective order will be obtained to ensure that the records are returned to the organization or properly destroyed/disposed of by the requesting party.

  • All APS Subcontractors provide that, upon termination of the contract, they will return or destroy/dispose of all company information. In cases where the return or destruction/disposal is not feasible, the contract limits the use and disclosure of the information to the purposes that prevent its return or destruction/disposal.

  • In the cases of a APS Customer terminating a contract with APS and no longer utilize APS Services, data will be returned or disposed per contract agreement or APS Platform use terms and conditions. In all cases it is solely the responsibility of the APS Customer to maintain the safeguards required of laws and regulations once the data is transmitted out of APS environments.

Use of USB Flash Drive and External Storage Device

Per APS corporate policy, confidential and critical data may not be stored on external devices such as USB flash drives. For definition of confidential and critical data, see APS Data Classification and Handling Policy.

Usage of USB flash drives for temporary transfer of confidential and critical data may be allowed on a case by case basis, when the following process is followed:

  • Data is only allowed on encrypted flash devices approved by APS Security and the IT Manager (currently manual process).
  • The process starts with the submission of a ticket in Rally. The ticket must be approved by IT and Security.
  • Upon completion of data transfer all sensitive data on the device must be completely removed.
  • The device is to be returned to the IT Manager to double check that the data has been removed.
  • The IT Manager will check the drive back in.

Support and Management of BYOD Devices

APS provides company-issued laptops and workstations to all employees.

Mobile devices (including personal smart devices) may be used for business purpose under the following conditions and management:

  • All employee mobile devices accessing or containing company data are inventoried and managed by IT using Jamf. The inventory will maintain current information on the owner of the device, its approved usages, installed applications, system status (operating system version and patches), and its state (e.g. in-use, lost, decommissioned).

  • Mobile device management software is deployed to ensure the proper protection and configuration of mobile devices, including:

  • Encryption must be enabled for device storage

  • Device password must be enabled and meet security policy requirements
  • Device must be locked after 10 minutes of inactivity

  • Operating systems and patches are up to date

  • All applications downloaded on employee mobile devices used for business purposes must be installed through a pre-approved app store or application list.

  • Circumvention of built-in device security controls such as jailbreaking is strictly prohibited and enforced by detective or preventative software.

  • Anti-malware software is installed and active on mobile devices. Alternatively, a sandbox environment is created on BYOD devices using the Jamf MDM solution to allow only white-listed application and data in a contained workspace.

  • Any confidential or sensitive data is only allowed to be accessed via and stored inside the sandbox environment on mobile devices.

  • Employees acknowledge that their mobile devices may be remotely controlled, locked or erased via the MDM software.

  • Eligibility and usage of BYOD devices is subject to manager and/or IT/Security approval.