Stepping into a Secure World

A strong mobile security regime undoubtedly has significant benefits, but, due to inaccurate end-user preconceptions, it is challenging to implement it   

In 2015, a British insurance company, Lloyd's, estimated that, due to cyber-attacks, the  industry incurs a staggering loss of $400 billion a year, which includes direct damage plus post-attack disruption to the normal course of business. However, other forecasts, over the past year, have put the cybercrime figure at a frightening $500 billion and beyond. In fact, as the world increasingly becomes digital, cybercrime has the potential to be one of the greatest threats to organizations around the world.

 
According to the BlackBerry’s mobile security research conducted by BlackBerry Limited, a leader in secure mobile communications, while 73 per cent of organizations have a mobile security strategy in place, just 3 per cent have implemented the highest levels of security possible. This is due in part to user’s attitude – 82% of executives say their existing mobile security practices cause frustration among their employees, while 44 per cent fear that too much security will prevent staff from doing their jobs. These attitudes have led to a risky environment, one in which nearly nine out of ten executives (86 per cent) are nervous that their company’s security won’t be enough to keep out hackers or malware. Part of the reason organizations are opening themselves up to these risks is because of the growing trend of BYOD – where despite the popularity, almost half believe that supporting a BYOD policy is a risk. So what can be done about this volatile business environment? 

Security is an enabler, not an inconvenience

Time and again, we hear people speak about information security as a hindrance or an inconvenience. However, when implemented properly, security works with the employees, not against them.  Security is, in fact, an enabler.  It can connect people to their required resources with ease, allowing them to work seamlessly with tools they are comfortable using. Security focusses on meeting the needs of the end-user, helping them become more productive, alongside the needs of IT. But, for that, an active approach is required by IT departments, especially for BYOD.  

Half of executives surveyed by BlackBerry predict that their employees’ mobile devices will inevitably result in security breaches at their organization. Therefore, a critical element to a successful BYOD or COPE (corporate-owned, personally-enabled) mobile environment is ensuring the isolation and separation of personal and business mobile data, also known as containerization. However, nearly 45 per cent have no containerization technology in place. And no one is sure how to address this challenge, whether on corporate-owned or BYOD devices – despite half of respondents agreeing that support of BYOD creates risks at their company.  A strong mobile security regime undoubtedly has significant benefits. However, due to inaccurate end-user’s preconceptions, it is challenging to implement it.  To address this, it is advisable to regularly evaluate the controls and policies in place to protect the organization.

Security is not a luxury 

The predicted losses of billions of dollars clearly underline the paramount importance of security in today’s world. A world where data is on the move – on smartphones, tablets, wearables and laptops – with travelling executives, sales people, field workers, contractors, clients and partners. All this access comes at a price: security. Companies and IT departments are working hard to balance the benefits of mobility – greater productivity, happier workers, decreased costs and increased flexibility – with the risk that a lost or stolen device, malicious app, insider threat or other vulnerability may threaten the safety of corporate data and assets. In line with this, BlackBerry has recently unveiled its mobile-native approach to security with the launch of a comprehensive platform designed for the Enterprise of Things. The BlackBerry Enterprise Mobility Suite enables a consistent approach to endpoint management across multiple OS platforms. It completes the integration of the company's prior acquisitions of security software companies, including Good Technology, WatchDox, AtHoc and Encription. With over 80 security certifications, BlackBerry recently ranked the highest in all six use-cases of Gartner's "Critical Capabilities for High-Security Mobility Management" report.

According to various industry reports, cybercrime costs have quadrupled from 2013 to 2015.  This is expected to quadruple again from 2015 to 2019. Juniper research predicts that the rapid digitization of consumers’ lives and enterprise records will increase the cost of data breaches to $2.1 trillion globally by 2019, increasing to almost four times the estimated cost of breaches in 2015. Therefore, now is the time to act and secure (our) one of the most valuable assets – data!