Smartphone risks overlooked

03.06.08

More than 90% of IT security professionals believe mobile phones such as BlackBerrys or iPhones pose more of a security risk to businesses than laptops, said research by data protection firm Credant Technologies.

The survey said the biggest culprits are personally owned devices, which are being granted to the corporate network without additional security or restrictions being applied.

More than 70% of businesses do not cover the use of smartphones as part of their security policy, while another 70% ‘choose to ignore’ USBs, MP3 players, and other storage devices, ‘blissfully overlooking the security implications’, said the report.

Peter Mitteregger, Credant’s European vice president, said organisations including Nationwide, HMRC and Bank of Ireland have all had an unprotected device lost or stolen in recent months.

“I’m really shocked by the results of this survey, especially given the current security climate and the level of knowledge of the sample, that this practice goes on in organisations today,” he said.

“Companies need to regain control of these devices and the data they are carrying.

“Cost effective solutions exist to mitigate the risks posed by these endpoints. After all, there’s no point employing leading technology to secure the front door if the back door’s left wide open,” he warned.

© Crimson Business Ltd. 2008