In today’s interconnected world, few things terrify CEOs and CTOs more than electronic security (well, a breach of that security, anyway). Most of our records, personal information, corporate information, and sensitive data exist online or on Internet-connected hardware. Mobile, with all it’s advantages for enterprises, actually poses one of the largest emerging threats to those enterprises’ data security. As such, we wanted to share some statistics that demonstrate the severity of the problem and highlight the importance of mobile security for your business.
92 percent of the top 500 Android apps carry either a security or privacy risk, according to recent data from security firm MetaIntell
Even the most popular and legitimate apps carry inherent security risks. For the most part, these applications are not purpose-built for enterprise security necessities, which leaves them vulnerable to talented hackers and malware.
Mobile malware was up 33 percent in 2013 compared with 2012, according to McAfee
If you’re the one building the app, then you can control the security parameters pretty strictly. However, far more corporations than not allow their employees to download apps at their discretion on the company hardware (or BYOD hardware that’s connected to the company’s mobile infrastructure). So, you aren’t just worried about your app, but also all of the other apps employees could be downloading on their own.
35% of online adults worldwide have either lost or had their mobile device stolen
Whenever an employee loses their phone or has it stolen, the entire organization can become vulnerable to hacks and malicious software. With more than one in three adults falling prey to this, that’s a significant amount of monitoring your IT department has to undertake.
4 in 10 American users likely to click on an unsafe link, according to Lookout
It’s not enough to secure your own mobile assets, you have to train your employees better. If forty percent of Americans click on unsafe links, your enterprise could easily become a target if your employees are not paying strict attention. You have to implement a training program as well as maintain constant monitoring of your hardware and mobile assets.
Researchers measured an alarming 600 percent increase in the use of malicious web links through all vectors in 2012
Mobile isn’t the only place that’s getting scarier — the entire Internet saw a 600 percent increase dangerous web links. This will require even more fail safes on behalf of enterprise IT departments as well as heightened vigilance from employees.
As you can see, there are numerous reasons why your company and its data security could be in jeopardy. These are five of the 11 statistics we’ll be sharing with you. In next week’s installment, we’ll have six more you should keep an eye on.
Until then, keep your guard up…
