Nearly A Third Of Execs Say Rogue Mobile Devices Are Linked To Their Networks

Organizations are concerned about the dangers posed by unauthorized mobile devices, according to a study published last week, but many aren't sure what's being done about it.

According to a Deloitte poll of nearly 1,200 U.S. IT and business executives about mobile security, some 28.4 percent of survey respondents believe there are unauthorized PDAs, tablets, or a combination of both connecting to their enterprise intranets, and particularly their e-mail servers. Nearly 87 percent of respondents think their companies are at risk for a cyberattack originating from a mobile security lapse, the survey says.

Yet, according to the survey, 40 percent of respondents don't know whether their organizations have strategies, policies, procedures, or technology controls in place to effectively enforce mobile security.

"Devices like tablets, PDAs, and smartphones have become ubiquitous over the past few years as people increasingly purchase them as tools to enhance their productivity at work and at home," said JR Regan, principal, Deloitte & Touche LLP and innovation leader to Deloitte’s federal practice. "Despite the benefit of these new devices, they also present increased security threats for organizations, which now must be wary of security threats originating from new channels." Tom Kellermann, CTO at mobile security vendor AirPatrol, agreed.

"The [study results are] disconcerting," Kellermann said. "The overt lack of strategic thinking about the consumerization of IT represents the Achilles heel for corporate security." Corporations should maintain policies that pre-designate mobile device rights and privileges for all job positions and electronically monitor non-employees' physical and wireless activities when accessing secure areas, he advised.

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