What Concerns Do Mobile Devices Present for Hedge Fund Managers, and How Should Those Concerns Be Addressed?  (Part One of Three)

Mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, have significantly enhanced the ability of hedge fund managers and their personnel to conduct business more effectively and efficiently by, among other things, facilitating performance of job functions outside of the office.  However, such productivity gains come at a cost.  The ability to remotely access firm networks and information via mobile devices magnifies the risk of losing some control over access to firm information and firm systems.  Such loss of control can, in turn, create additional perils, most notably, security concerns for hedge fund managers who closely guard any informational advantage they have over competitors.  Additionally, such loss of control over access may heighten risks that a firm’s network is compromised, which can cause significant damage to a firm’s operations.  As such, it is imperative for hedge fund managers to keep up with the ever-growing risks that arise from the rapidly evolving mobile device technology landscape and to adopt policies and solutions designed to minimize the loss of control over access to firm information and systems.  This is the first article in a three-part series designed to address the concerns raised by mobile devices and to outline policies and procedures as well as technology solutions that can help hedge fund managers mitigate the risks posed by the use of mobile devices.  This first article provides an overview of the use of mobile devices and how hedge fund managers have historically addressed the use of mobile devices.  In particular, this article surveys the various risks for hedge fund managers raised by mobile devices, including security risks, risks related to unauthorized trading and risks related to the downloading of malware and viruses.  This article also addresses concerns relating to retention and archiving of books and records, and advertising and communications.  The second and third installments in this three-part series will discuss principles and detail best practices for establishing mobile device policies and procedures as well as specific mobile device solutions and technologies designed to address the risks catalogued in this article.

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