According to a study, more than two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone. 46% of smartphone users say they couldn’t live without them. Smartphones keep us connected – to the latest news, to our friends and family, and for most users, to our job. They eliminate the need to be tied to your desk to access the information you need to be more productive.
Yet for many businesses, mobile phones and devices create almost as many challenges as they solve.Mobile security is a huge hurdle. In some industries like supply chain and logistics, there are questions about the durability of these devices. And as technology continues to advance, the devices themselves are evolving.
Mobile Security Risks
As workers increasingly use personal devices to access data on corporate networks, important business data becomes vulnerable to cybercriminals.
PC World recently reported that according to the Government Accounting Office, the number of malicious software hacks aimed at mobile devices rose about 185% in less than a year. Hackers target mobile devices as a means of entry into corporate networks due to their tendency to be poorly secured. Because mobile devices tend to be managed by users themselves rather than IT professionals, they also tend to operate outdated operating systems that are prime targets for hackers.
