IBM bans Apple's Siri app from employee phones as security risk

Citing security risks, Armonk-based IBM has banned employees from using Apple's personal-assistant app Siri and other apps to tap into the corporate network on their smartphones and tablets.

In an interview with MIT's Technology Review, IBM's Chief Information Officer Jeanette Horan said that the ban applies even to devices owned by employees.

The problem, Horan said, is that the apps transmit data to Apple's servers, creating potential security leaks for sensitive IBM information.

IBM policy allows workers to use their own devices when working outside the office and tapping into the corporate email and other services.

But before the devices can be used to access IBM's networks, the devices are configured to disable apps considered to be security risks, she said.

Aside from Siri, Horan said, IBM bans other apps like Dropbox and Apple's iCloud, which are used to store data remotely.