Small Business Technology News
SMB Mobile Devices Present Serious Threats To System Integrity And Data Security
Written by Tim Morral
Published: 4/13/2012
Most SMB IT managers are unable to keep pace with the rate of new mobile security threats in their organizations.
Despite rising awareness of the potential for malware and other security threats, mobile devices continue to pose serious challenges to small and medium-sized businesses.
Mobile risk management firm, Mobilisafe, recently released the results of a study, showing that nearly three out of four (71%) of SMB mobile devices contained high severity OS and application vulnerabilities. The study also demonstrated that an emerging high severity vulnerability is mapped every 1.6 days -- a rate that is four times faster than the 2011 pace of new security threats.
In many SMBs, the problem isn't that IT stakeholders lack an awareness of the security threats presented by company-owned and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) mobile hardware. Rather, many businesses simply haven't invested in the implementation of policies or resources to standardize the use of mobility solutions across their organizations.
As a result, large numbers of small and medium-sized businesses are vulnerable to system attacks as well as threats designed to exploit customer data or sensitive company information.
- However, the study also indicated that the number of devices with serious vulnerabilities could be reduced four times if the devices were routinely updated with the latest firmware.
"We now have definitive data that SMBs are exposed to vulnerability risk from mobile devices being used for work. Approximately 70% of devices with severe vulnerabilities can have their risks remediated by applying firmware updates recommended automatically by our product," said Giri Sreenivas, CEO of Mobilisafe.
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