Security Architecture, Endpoint/Device Security, Endpoint/Device Security, Endpoint/Device Security, Endpoint/Device Security, Endpoint/Device Security

Poll says few firms encrypt data on mobile devices

Results for a new survey released today found that even though the majority of IT organizations store large amounts of sensitive customer information on their mobile devices, less than a quarter of them have implemented anything beyond basic encryption on these devices.

Conducted in July, a survey sponsored by CREDANT Technologies polled 426 IT professionals about security practices surrounding their organizations' mobile workforces. Of those polled, 88 percent said that large amounts of sensitive information resides on employees' mobile devices.

More specifically, more than half of the respondents said that personally identifying information such as Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, financial and medical information is stored on mobile devices. 

Even though almost three-quarters of those polled said that encryption is the best way to protect this type of information, less than 20 percent had implemented encryption. The top two reasons listed as obstacles to deploying encryption were a lack of funds for the technology and a lack of executive priority on such initiatives. 

"Organizations need to better protect one of their most valuable assets - customer data," said Bob Heard of CREDANT Technologies. "Privacy protection has become a competitive differentiator and business tool. Our survey identifies that encryption is not being deployed by enough companies." 

Click here to email Ericka Chickowski.

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