New research from Oracle has revealed that younger business workers are far more likely to find a way to access work data and applications on their mobile device – with or without their employers’ consent – yet they are also the most likely to lose their mobile device or, worse, have it stolen.
With this new generation of mobile users working their way into businesses around the world, Oracle highlights the need for organizations to secure their business from the device right through to the data center.
Young workers around the world are embracing mobility in the workplace, but they are also far more likely to lose their mobile devices, or have them stolen, than their more seasoned colleagues: 71% of workers aged 16-24 are using work applications on personal mobile devices. 73% admit to having lost at least one mobile device and 52% have had at least one stolen. Among 45-54-year-olds meanwhile, device theft is at just 20% and losses at 36%.
In fact, it seems the 16-24-year-old category are constantly finding new and interesting ways to lose or damage a mobile device: 53% have damaged a device by spilling a drink on it. 51% have dropped their mobile phone into a toilet. 49% have damaged a mobile device by sitting on it.…and 44% have lost or damaged a mobile phone in a way they were too embarrassed to admit to.
Businesses should be embracing mobile platforms, but some are being put off by clearly well-founded concerns about the security of mobile devices: Only 24% of respondents said their company actively encourages mobile working. 39% believe fears about the security of devices are a major obstacle for their bosses.
Suhas Uliyar, VP Mobile Strategy, Product Management, Oracle explained the situation by saying: “It is little wonder therefore that so many devices are getting lost or stolen, especially at a time when mobile working is becoming more widespread. While we can laugh at some of the more outlandish ways devices are lost, these findings are a real concern for businesses that are serious about securing their data. A stolen phone for a consumer, perhaps, costs a few hundred dollars and the loss of treasured photos, music, etc. But for a business the pain is much greater, potentially creating a security hole in its enterprise information management strategy.”
The solution to this challenge is not to limit mobile working, which serves only to reduce productivity, but instead to put in place a robust security platform.
Uliyar went on and said: “Oracle has said that it is advising businesses to ensure they have in place and approach to IT and mobile application management (MAM), which gives them confidence in what data employees can access on their mobile devices. Through containerization and feature-rich MAM capabilities, businesses can enable user convenience for their employees while also ensuring their corporate date remains secure, no matter where their employees’ devices end up. With this approach, we can give the CIO no compromises on security and a the same time we give the LOB owner the user experience to be intact”
