Cell phones can be a serious threat to security not only for companies and businesses but also to national security. More and more businesses and government agencies are restricting the use of cell phones, especially those equipped with cameras.

The Air Force Communications Agency, which ensures the smooth flow of electronic communications for that service branch, recently cautioned Air Force officials against allowing camera phones in areas with classified materials and equipment. The agency doesn't want photos to end up in the wrong hands.

"We're trying to make sure that the technology doesn't cause any security problems," said Jane Guidicini, an agency official at Scott Air Force Base near Belleville, Ill. "Down the line we will possibly loosen up, once we study this more."

Camera phones, which sell for as little as $50, enable users to take pictures and immediately transmit them to other phones and the Internet.

For this reason the threat from cell phones is usually from the inside out, and not from the outside in. Those equipped with a cell phone in a restricted area have the means to transmit vital information to the outside. One security manager for a government agency told us, "90 percent of information leaks happen from the inside out, usually by people working or affiliated with that agency or company".

The quality and memory capabilities of these camera phones are improving every year. Companies are able to produce phones with more power on the same real estate by simply increasing the processor power within the phone. At some point in time serious regulations will be put in place or perhaps it will be up to each individual company whether or not to prohibit camera phones from their premises.

More and more businesses and government agencies are taking control of this threat by installing Cell Phone Detectors in cell phone restricted areas. They simply can not wait for serious security breaches to happen.