News

Business enterprises slacking on mobile security, claims study

March 11, 2019

The latest Verizon Mobile Security Index reveals that nearly half, 48 percent, of enterprises are sacrificing security in order "to get the job done."

The figure represents a substantial hike over last yea'rs 32 percent, and the result is that businesses, including retailers, are likely facing a bigger risk of data loss, damage to reputation and customer relationships, according to a press release on the study.

"Companies are increasingly reliant on mobility as the backbone of their business operations so there needs to be a priority on securing those devices," said TJ Fox, senior vice president and president of business markets with Verizon, in the release. "The applications on these devices now manage things like supply chain systems, point of sale systems or customer facing apps. The lack of robust security measures could potentially expose corporate assets, and possibly customer data, to malicious actors."

The news comes at a time when retailers are using more mobile devices in the store to drive faster checkout and boost the customer experience.

Highlights of the study include:

Five of six (83 percent) respondents said their organization was at risk of mobile threats. 29 percent said it was a significant risk.
Two thirds (67 percent) of organizations said they are less confident about the security of their mobile assets than other devices.
Five of six (85 percent) said organizations need to take mobile security more seriously.
Nearly half (46 percent) of those that sacrificed security admitted to suffering a compromise.
More than three fifths (62 percent) of respondents that suffered a compromise described it as "major."
81 percent admitted using public Wi-Fi, even when many said doing so was prohibited by company policy.
80 percent of those that said they were responsible for securing mobile devices said they use public Wi-Fi, even when doing so was prohibited by company policy.\
43 percent said remediating the effects of a mobile-related compromise was "difficult and expensive."