Fiberlink Survey Reveals Mobile Employee Behaviors Put Enterprise Data at Risk

SOURCE: Fiberlink

Two out of five employees that use mobile devices for work engage in risky activities

Philadelphia PA, July 17, 2013 – Fiberlink, the leader in cloud-based enterprise mobility management (EMM) announced the results of its online survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, that reveals employees are unknowingly putting enterprise data at risk. Among 2,064 U.S. adults surveyed about their mobile behavior, over half (51 percent) of employees¹ use their personal smartphones and/or tablet devices for work purposes. However, overwhelming majority, do not use mobile solutions that control corporate data from enterprise data and are engaging in risky behavior.

For example, among employees who use mobile devices for work (either their own or employer-issued), the survey showed:

• * 25 percent have opened/saved a work attachment file into a third-party app (e.g., QuickOffice, Dropbox, Evernote).
• * 20 percent admit to having cut/pasted work-related email or attachments from company email to their personal email accounts.
• * 18 percent say they’ve accessed websites that are blocked by their company’s IT policy.

While using personal devices for work is a matter of convenience for employees, it’s a matter of security for employers. Top security issues include corporate data leakage, malicious applications, violation of corporate use policies and regulatory compliance, all of which have the potential to compromise enterprise data. In the absence of enterprise mobility management solutions, risky employee behavior on mobile devices, whether accidental or malicious, is inevitable.

One approach for separating work and personal data is through “dual persona,” where sensitive business information is encapsulated in a trusted workplace or container on the device. This means that corporate e-mail, corporate applications, and corporate documents all reside in a container separated from everything else. This containment approach allows IT to control what matters most for business, while not invading the personal privacy of the employee or their applications.

Despite the potential for data loss, less than one half of one percent of employees said they currently have such a solution installed on their personal devices. The good news for employees and employers alike is that there is an appetite among workers for these solutions. The survey showed 61 percent of employees who use personal mobile devices for work (and do not already have it) are at least somewhat likely to install such a solution if it was offered by their employer.

“Today’s work environment is a co-mingled mash-up of personal and professional activities. It’s not about sacrificing one for the other,” said Jonathan Dale, director of marketing at Fiberlink. “Many organizations, including our customers, are starting to prefer the idea of a dual persona solution because it keeps enterprise data safe while allowing employees the freedom to work on their own devices.”

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¹For the purposes of this study, “employees” refers to those employed full-time, part-time and/or self-employed.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Fiberlink from April 18-22, 2013 among 2,064 adults (of whom 1,071 were employed full-time, part-time and/or self-employed) ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. More information about the survey can be found on the Fiberlink blog: http://www.maas360.com/maasters/blog/mobilitymanagement/byod-still-risky-business-for-enterprises/

About MaaS360

MaaS360 by Fiberlink is the trusted enterprise mobility management solution to more than 4,500 customers worldwide—from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses. We make working in the mobile era simple and safe by delivering comprehensive security and management for applications, documents, email, and devices.  Instantly accessible from the web, MaaS360 is easy to use and maintain, and provides the flexibility organizations need to fully embrace mobility in every aspect of their businesses. Backed by the most responsive support in the industry, we put our customers first by providing them with the best user experience for IT and employees. To learn more go to  http://www.maas360.com.