Most employees withmobile
dataaccess are uninterested in security, says
a study of 700 users.
The global independent survey commissioned by
Cisco and the
National Cyber Security Alliance reveals behavioural findings
among mobile wireless workers.
The 700 mobile employees questioned were based in the US, the
UK, Germany, China, India, South Korea, and Singapore.
The survey found almost three of every four (73%) mobile users
claimed that they are not always aware of
security threats and best practices when working on the go.
Although many said they are aware "sometimes", 28% admitted that
they "hardly ever" consider security risks and proper
behaviour.
Some of these mobile users even admitted that they "never"
consider safe best practices and did not know they needed to be
aware of security risks.
When asked why they were lax in their security behaviour, many
mobile users offered reasons such as, "I am in a hurry", "I am busy
and need to get work done," and "it is IT's job, not mine".
Almost half (44%) of all mobile users surveyed said they open
e-mails and attachments from unknown or suspicious sources.
In China, India, and the UK, more than half of users admitted to
this behaviour. A significant number (76%) said it is more
difficult to identify suspicious e-mails and files on PDAs and
smartphones than on laptops, because the screens are much
smaller.
Best practices that IT can work with mobile employees on to help
address mobile security concerns:
- Use effective passwords that are changed every 90 days.
- Update antivirus and anti-spyware programs.
- Download necessary patches to operating systems regularly.
- Create backups of all important data and files.
- Encrypt sensitive data.
- Have an emergency response plan for wireless security
breaches.
- Marry proactive education with proper technology that protects
connections to networks, mobile and wireless devices as they leave
corporate environments, and re-entry of those devices into
corporate environments as they reconnect to corporate networks.
Source: Cisco