Business security threatened by personal mobile phones
Using a personal mobile handset for work could leave your company open to security breaches, a report has claimed.
![Personal mobiles at work](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VKmppAHTZQ4vUHJ7U7LUjf-320-80.jpg)
Businesses are being left open to security breaches as employees use personal mobile phones for work.
So claims a new report released today that shows just under a third (28 per cent) of enterprises have fallen victim to security breaches because employees used unauthorised devices in the workplace.
The report - by market research firm Vanson Bourne and sponsored by Good Technology - surveyed decision makers in 300 IT firms across the UK and US about the use of mobile devices in their companies.
The survey showed 80 per cent of employees asked to use their own devices in the past six to 12 months, but only 44 per cent of managers were happy for them to do so, as long as they could be assured of security and configuration.
Philippe Winthrop, research director of Strategy Analytics, said in a statement: "Enterprises have been reluctant to embrace the newest mobile devices because of concerns about security, not to mention the increased management burdens that the new devices would place on already strapped IT departments."
The iPhone was the most likely handset to be used, with 82 per cent of respondents getting requests for iPhone support in their company. There were also requests for Palm Pre, Android, Windows Mobile and Symbian device support.
Get the ITPro. daily newsletter
Receive our latest news, industry updates, featured resources and more. Sign up today to receive our FREE report on AI cyber crime & security - newly updated for 2024.
Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.
Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.
Most Popular
Resources
Get the ITPro. daily newsletter
Receive our latest news, industry updates, featured resources and more. Sign up today to receive our FREE report on AI cyber crime & security - newly updated for 2024.