Users Hold the Keys to Better Mobile Security

According to IDC’s Mobile Security Predictions for 2015, users are a key element of security. With the number of mobile users having surpassed the number of desktop users, securing these devices is greater challenge. 

Due to common misconceptions, few mobile users are aware of their ability to improve the overall mobile security posture. The three key reasons for this?

1.) Perception—Many users believe mistakenly that mobile devices are more secure than a standard computer. Colleagues commonly share devices, and devices often are left unattended in the work place with the assumption that the device is secure. As mobile devices are used everywhere, a single device can connect to an unsecure network in a given location. Employees can unwittingly compromise data by storing corporate documents into their mobile cloud. Visibility into the devices and operating systems will allow IT to better mitigate risks and see where data is going.

 2.) Intentionally undermining security controls—Some users, in an attempt to open their mobile devices to more applications, intentionally disable some of the controls that are placed on the device by manufacturers. If a user downloads a consumer application onto his/her personal device, the enterprise has no way to manage the threats to that application. Without realizing that some applications are carrying malware, users who intentionally turn off security settings are making their devices more vulnerable.

3.) Lack of visible security warnings—On mobile devices, screen real estate is at a premium, so security indicators that exist in the PC world are not available on mobile devices. User interfaces are expanding as mobility is interwoven into future practices. Enterprises are rolling out the next generation of technology innovations with these visibility challenges in mind.

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