Storing company data in unsecured manner biggest concern: Survey
When it comes to employees using personal mobile devices for work activities, IT professionals are equally divided on the risks, according to a survey by Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).
The benefits outweigh the risks, according to 34 per cent of 206 Canadian IT professionals surveyed, while 33 per cent said the risks outweigh the benefits and another 33 per cent said the risks and benefits are appropriately balanced.
Any employee-owned mobile device represents the greatest risk to employers, said 52 per cent of respondents, compared to work-supplied laptops or netbooks (15 per cent). The riskiest behaviour of employees with mobile devices that can access the corporate network are:
• Storing company data in unsecured manner (49 per cent)
• Losing the device (23 per cent)
• Accessing dangerous or risky websites (nine per cent)
• Keeping passwords stores on device (six per cent)
• Leaving Bluetooth, WiFi access unsecured (five per cent)
• Disabling lock feature (five per cent)
And while 69 per cent said their company has a security policy in place for mobile computing, one-half of those admit it needs updating, found ISACA’s IT Risk/Reward Barometer.
