Infonetics Research Finds 'Rogue Devices' a Major Factor in Mobile Device Security Adoption

The trend of BYOD (bring your own device) has grown steadily in popularity in recent years due to the benefits it offers in terms of employee productivity, as well as the fact that many companies believe they would be at a competitive disadvantage without it. However, there are still disadvantages to BYOD, with the primary concern being security, which usually leads to the deployment of mobile device security.

Infonetics Research addressed the rising use of mobile device security in its 2013 Mobile Security Strategies and Vendor Leadership: North American Enterprise Survey. This report examines enterprises' plans for deploying mobile device security solutions in addition to detailing their thoughts on leading mobile security vendors.

Excerpts of the survey, released today, indicate that one of the most common reasons for deploying mobile device security is to manage and secure rogue devices connected by users, according to 72 percent of respondents. Meanwhile, a little over 75 percent of respondents have already purchased or are considering purchasing a cloud-based or hybrid cloud/client-based mobile security solution, driven largely by cost.

About one third of the enterprises surveyed by Infonetics currently allow the use of employee-owned devices — namely iPads, iPhones, and Android smartphones and tablets — on their networks.

“For many IT organizations, there’s an immediate need to do something about the mobile device security problem because like it or not, a new wave of mobile devices is being connected to corporate networks, and companies are looking to lock down these devices and control which apps they can use,” said Jeff Wilson, principal analyst for security at Infonetics Research, in a statement.

“We believe that SSL VPNs will become a cornerstone of many enterprise mobile device security strategies moving forward because they solve an immediate connection security requirement, are familiar and easy to use, often free, and will likely support additional security and control functions,” Wilson added.

The report also stated that around one million malicious or high-risk Android apps are expected this year, while nearly all enterprises are expected to experience "significant device security incidents" before 2015.