Research conducted by Vanson Bourne revealed that even though organizations have mobile workers, they aren’t where they need to be with their security strategy. The study finds that 29% of organizations have already experienced either a data loss or breach as a direct result of mobile working. Also, 44% of organizations expect that mobile workers will expose their organization to the risk of a data breach.
When listing some of their biggest security risks, employees is second to the use of outdated software.
- 51% of organizations say outdated software is one of their biggest security risks.
- 48% of organizations say employees are one of their biggest security risks.
It is clear that companies are still unclear on how to enforce adequate security policies, but at the same time the study finds that many have no viable strategies in place.
- 53% of organizations said that managing all of the technology that employees need and use for mobile working is too complex, while 35% complain that technology for secure mobile working is too expensive.
- 38% of organizations say they have no control over where company data goes and where it is stored.
One in ten companies with over 3,000 employees do not have a security strategy that covers remote working and BYOD. Also found is that regardless of the size of the business, one in ten companies don’t have a strategy that covers removable media.
- Removable devices such as compact flash drives can pose a huge risk to businesses, not only because they are easy to lose or steal, but also in terms of the malware they can introduce to networks.
- Another challenge businesses mention in the study is that they have no way of enforcing security strategies they have in place.
- Despite some having defined security policies for mobile working, 68% of organizations say they cannot be certain that their data is adequately secured when employees work remotely or on mobile devices.
This is just as risky as having no BYOD security policy at all since not being able to apply it means mobile workers aren’t taking the necessary measures to protect data and reduce risks.
Another finding worth noting from the study is the fact that even though encryption is one of the most viable options for organizations to protect sensitive data outside of the corporate network, only a third of organizations enforce hardware and software encryption of their data. Furthermore, 12% of these organizations do not have any policy at all regarding encryption for data that is taken away from the office.
It’s clear from the study that businesses are aware of the security risks that come with mobile working, but they are having a hard time finding a way to integrate security, while taking advantage of the benefits of mobile working for their business.
If you’re having similar troubles with your business and mobile workers, give us a call to get your mobile security and BYOD policies on track.
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Photo Courtesy of Tashatuvango