The Importance of Mobile Security

Over the last 10 years, the use of mobile devices in the enterprise has exploded. The arrival of lightweight laptops and powerful smartphones in recent years has only accelerated the trend, giving everyone the ability to be even more productive when out of the office.

That proliferation of mobile devices may do wonders for productivity, but it can give IT managers and security professionals a host of new problems to deal with. Not only do all these devices need to be secured against unauthorized use, but they also need to be safeguarded against the loss/theft of the device itself.

A recent survey conducted by Ovum seems to confirm that concern. According to Ovum’s research, roughly 50 percent of organizations don't require any sort of authentication for mobile device users; of those that do, only 62 percent rely on simple password protection. And only nine percent of all enterprises that authenticate mobile users actually employ two-factor authentication. Those are startling statistics that pose real risks for enterprises that take mobile security lightly.

So how do you handle mobile device security in your own organization? Send me an email or add a comment to this blog post with your thoughts.

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