Survey results: Mobile security is the buzz—but how big is the problem?

I’ve been to countless RSA Conferences. Two years ago it was about who survived. Last year was cloud hype. This year: mobile security.

In our booth, I demonstrated our new mobile security solution on an iPad non-stop. To the point of shoulder pain and post-show massage therapy after holding that thing up for hours and hundreds of demos to eager onlookers. The interest in mobile security is very real.

So how big is the problem?

We had the Ponemon Institute survey more than 4,000 IT professionals in 12 countries. It is clear from the answers that corporate mobile devices and the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) phenomenon are absolutely circumventing enterprise security and policies. Fifty-nine percent report that employees circumvent or disengage security features like passwords and key locks. A lost device with no password is an open door to email, calendars, social circles, and apps that access confidential information. And just over half experienced data loss because of unsecured mobile devices, including laptops, smartphones, USB devices, and tablets. The problem is big.

Most IT pros know that by enabling a mobile workforce they are supporting business productivity, but they also recognize the risk. Check out the full results of the survey here.

I can’t say this often enough: standard mobile device management (MDM) isn’t enough. You really need to look at the new Websense TRITON Mobile Security solution that we announced the RSA Conference. It combines four components (web security, data security, mobile malware / app protection, and mobile device management features). As a cloud security service, it prevents confidential data loss on iPads, iPhones, Android, and other mobile devices.

Feel free to comment and let me know what you think.