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Mobile Security Lags In N. American Business
SecurityProNews
Staff Writer
2006-04-06
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Only a third of North American businesses have deployed security software to protect their mobile data, according to a survey conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit. That puts the continent well behind Western European and Asia-Pacific markets in terms of mobile security.
The Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed over 240 global company executives and conducted a number of in-depth interviews with executives to explore awareness of the security risks associated with the widespread adoption of mobile data solutions.
Sponsored by Symantec, the results of the study indicated that awareness of security risks was decently high, but that awareness was also the obstacle to widespread adoption of wireless and remote computing in business. Security concerns are holding back over 60 percent of companies surveyed, and 47 percent of respondents cite cost and complexity as a major obstacle to deployment. Almost one in five have already suffered financial loss due to mobile attacks.
Though the use of mobile devices, especially phones, is widespread, only nine percent have incorporated a comprehensive security architecture designed to include mobile device access. Of the rest, ten percent of companies have no measures for addressing mobile security, 39 percent are granting mobile devices access to corporate networks on an ad hoc basis and another 39 percent are integrating mobile devices into their existing fixed network security architecture.
"Security is the one particular issue that continues to impede the widespread adoption of mobile computing in the workplace and if it continues to be overlooked there is a danger that some businesses will miss the advantages mobility can bring to their workforces," said Gareth Lofthouse, director of custom research, Economist Intelligence Unit.
Symantec's Paul Miller believes companies need to be more targeted with their security procedures and that there is not a silver bullet for mobile security.
"It's prudent for enterprises to gain experience in mobile deployments and security before a serious attack makes it mandatory and time critical," said Miller. "In today's enterprise, there are multiple end points to account for - and proper protection cannot be tackled as one-size-fits-all. While most enterprises are aware of the risks introduced with mobility, they continue to lack the appropriate security measures and policies required to protect themselves from potential threats."
View the full report here.
About the Author:
SecurityProNews is a daily online and email publication focusing on internet security issues.
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