Android least secure, BlackBerry remains king [Report]

Check Point, the IT security solutions company, conducted a survey of 768 IT professionals in the US, UK, Canada, Germany and Japan to gather data about mobile trends in enterprise.

The survey found that iOS came out on top as the most common mobile platform connected to corporate environments, which is hardly surprising given its current market share, but it only just edged it over BlackBerry. Participants reported that Apple iOS (30%) and BlackBerry (29%) were the most commonly used mobile device types connecting to their corporate networks followed by Android (21%).

Android is seen as the least secure platform, with the greatest risk of introducing security problems on corporate networks, while BlackBerry remains the most secure. iOS is somewhere in between. RIM could have an ace up its sleeve with Mobile Fusion, which is a unified enterprise management platform for BlackBerry iOS and Android operating systems. Mobile Fusion could make competing platforms more secure and easier to manage, helping RIM regain its loosening foothold in the enterprise, while making a play for the mainstream consumer market.

Here are some key findings from the report:

Extensive use of mobile devices connecting to corporate networks

• 89% have mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets, connecting to corporate networks.
• Apple iOS is the most common mobile platform used to connect in corporate environments.
• 65% reported that their organisations had devices that were personally owned by employees in addition to company-owned mobile devices accessing corporate network.
• Among the countries surveyed, Japan is the least likely (46%) to allow personal mobile devices and Germany the most likely (81%).

Personal mobile devices that connect to corporate networks are extensive and growing

• 65% allow personal devices to connect to corporate networks.
• 78% say there are more than twice as many personal devices connecting to corporate networks now than there were two years ago.

Security risks are on the rise because of mobile devices

• 71% say mobile devices have contributed to increased security incidents.
• The Android mobile platform is considered to introduce the greatest security risks.

Employee behavior impacts security of mobile data

• 47% report customer data is stored on mobile devices. Participants were asked what types of corporate information were stored on mobile devices used by employees. The most frequently reported type of information was corporate email (79%) and business contacts (65%). However, users also reported a significant level of very sensitive information was on their mobile devices, including customer data (47%), network login credentials (38%), and corporate information made available through business applications (32%).
• Lack of employee awareness about security policies ranked as having the greatest impact on the security of mobile data. It came away with 62% of the highest score possible, followed closely by insecure web browsing (61%) and insecure Wi-Fi connectivity (59%).
• 72% say careless employees are a greater security threat than hackers. Significantly more participants said careless employees pose greater security risks (72%) than hackers (28%), which reinforces the importance of implementing a strong combination of technology and security awareness throughout an organisation.