BYOD to escalate security issues

MOBILE

A new report from Juniper Research has found that the number of employee owned smartphones and tablets used in the enterprise will more than double by 2014, reaching 350 million, compared to almost 150 million this year. This represents almost 23% of the total installed base of consumer owned tablets and smartphones.

The BYOD concept has been a growing trend for some years now as employees become more accustomed to using their own mobile computing devices in their jobs, and accessing corporate assets.

The rapid adoption of high end smartphones and tablets including iPhones, iPads and Android devices along with the number of easily accessible apps is driving this concept forward. Cloud based services, accessible from almost anywhere, are also a key factor.

The ‘Mobile Security Strategies: Threats, Solutions & Market Forecasts 2012-2017’ report found that whilst this trend can bring productivity benefits to businesses, it also poses potential security risks. In particular, the report found that the majority of employee’s phones and smart devices did not have any form of security software loaded nor were company materials protected. The new report provides detailed assessments of the mobile security threat and the growing market for security solutions.  

Report author Nitin Bhas observed: “While BYOD has become an ‘inevitable’ trend for the enterprise, businesses need to create new end-user IT policies and address the key security issues emerging. New device management policies and security measures need to be put in place”.