EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The fastest growing attack vector is the mobile landscape, and this is bad news for businesses.

In an Oxford Economics Survey, 80% of respondents reported that company workers require mobile devices in order to effectively carry out their responsibilities. Workers often prefer to use their own devices over company offered tech, as they believe their own devices are more efficient, and one study shows that employees are 34% more productive this way.

It’s no secret that phones can allow employees to work in between other commitments; as they’re waiting for a car wash, or while grabbing a cup of coffee. Productivity is a must, and 48% percent of organizations say that in the past year they have sacrificed security in favor of efficiency.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) opportunities in the workplace inherently pose corporate security risks. As we know, humans are the weakest link in security optimization efforts. Devices compromised on public Wi-Fi systems can relay infections back to corporate networks, leading to data loss and other problems.

Earlier this year, a survey of IT professionals at Cloud Expo Europe revealed that nearly half of companies either do not have a policy in place to manage BYOD risks, or the policy is not general knowledge. A successful future for mobile devices in the workplace depends on a combination of education, advanced policy protocols, and impeccable security technologies.

To safeguard mobile devices, businesses may want to explore a range of options, and then pursue a multi-pronged approach. Ideal solutions will both safeguard company data, and protect users’ personal information.

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