Lost and stolen mobiles: A data disaster waiting to happen

A recent survey by ERP firm Oracle suggests that younger workers need to be more cautious with their mobile devices, highlighting a serious security concern for businesses.

Employees of all ages are attached to their mobile devices and take them wherever they go. 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.

The 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 organisations to secure their business from the device right through to the data centre.

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.

Oracle 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 containerisation 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," says Suhas Uliyar, VP mobile strategy, product management, Oracle

"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,'' Ulve adds.

Highlights: 

• 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%. 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
• 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; in India this figure is higher than the average at 31%.
• 39% believe fears about the security of devices are a major obstacle for their bosses. The figure drops to 37% in India.