RussellHltn wrote:After giving this some thought and doing some research, I have to concede the issue. While I don't think the authors had considered removable media when requiring password protection in 2005, it does seem a reasonable extension given the expressed concern.
It justs irks me that the same file, on the same media, stored in the same pants pocket is somehow has a policy just because it's inserted into a PDA/Smart phone. The removable media oversight seems to be large since it had to be involved from the first use of PDAs. (Unless you want to go into the "personally licensed software" on a church computer zone.).
Yes, as we discussed in that other thread, there does seem to be a hole in MLS policy and practice with respect to removable media, which has existed longer than MLS itself or commonly available flash drives. My bishop and I were using similar export files from MIS a dozen years ago when the typical medium was a floppy.
I think it is reasonable to copy the files to an unprotected memory device for transitory purposes, such as the time while the Android program is importing or before an unencrypted flash drive is locked away.
RussellHltn wrote:However, in conceding that, I'd have to point out that this now extends to any data files used internally by the applications. Since it's not possible to password protect the file itself, the data would have to be stored in the phone's internal memory (assuming that it's not easy to get to) or encrypted/obscured in some fashion. Fortunately it appears that Ward Roster does save the data in internal memory, for I can't find it on the card.
My understanding from correspondence with the developer is that Ward Roster uses an internal SQLite database to store the data transformed from the CSV files upon import. I tested an early version of the app and also suggested that it might be enhanced to clean up the SD card behind itself after the import succeeds. In the absence of such functionalitly, the Android user can use either of two methods to delete the MLS files: Temporarily mount the SD card as a USB device and use the computer's user interface to delete the files, or install one of several third-party file-manager apps on the Android. The user probably needs such a utility anyway. (I now use Ward Roster in its LUWS mode, so this is less serious an issue for me.)