Only 35% of SMEs implement the correct BYOD rules and policies to protect data
More than half of all small to medium sized businesses know what company data is stored on employees' personal mobile devices, says new research.
A study from Kaspersky Lab shows 60% of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have only a basic understanding of what company data is stored on employees' own mobile devices.
Further to this, a recent study by TNS Infratest for Kaspersky Lab found that, despite the overwhelming BYOD trend in business, only 35% of IT managers admitted to having strict enough rules and policies in place to provide an accurate overview of company information contained on personal devices.
As more employees use their own devices for business purposes, a lack of knowledge on the security implications of BYOD is presenting serious risks to SMEs. With 525,000 mobile phones reported stolen in 2011 to 2012 as part of the Crime Survey for England and Wales, businesses can face company data falling into the wrong hands if not effectively managed, claimed Kaspersky.
'You only need to look at the statistics showing the number of devices lost or stolen each year to see why it is so important for SMEs to have an accurate overview of what company information employees have on personal devices,' said David Emm, senior security researcher, Kaspersky Lab. 'Only when clear BYOD rules are in place, can adequate steps be taken to build a robust security solution should a device be lost or stolen. To best protect data a policy should include file encryption, blocking access to the corporate network and, in the best case, wiping all data on the device.'
Encryption of data on devices is one of the most effective measures, but modern solutions also offer remote data wipe functions and GPS localisation of lost devices. Solutions such as Kaspersky Lab's Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business allow IT managers to remotely manage all devices on the company network and the data secured within, all from a single management dashboard, the company noted.
