Mobile security and the channel

The opportunity
Mobile devices can supercharge businesses, enabling employees to be reachable to customers and colleagues regardless of location. Earlier this summer research by StrategyAnalytics revealed that global smartphone sales rose by nearly 50 percent in the second quarter of 2010 to a record 60 million units. However, the enhanced productivity that mobile technology brings comes at a cost, as the risk of company data loss due to misplaced of stolen devices dramatically increases. The channel must help its customers understand what types of threats are out there, and how to guard against these in order for them to confidently embrace the mobile technology available to them and the benefits that it can bring.

Recent research conducted by Applied Research revealed that there is still some work to be done with it comes to protecting information on mobile devices, with only 28 percent of small to medium businesses (SMBs) password-protecting their corporate smartphones. With this in mind, the channel  must take steps to educate its customers, particularly those that focus on SMBs, on how to protect their proprietary work and client information regardless of its location—whether on the road or in the office. The opportunity for the channel is there to highlight that although investment in mobile device security may appear daunting, the return on investment outweighs the risks, as long as the right level of support is provided.

Educating customers
Educating businesses is the first step in protecting information from malicious attacks and there are a number of guidelines that the channel can provide to customers in order for them to enjoy the convenience and benefits associated with mobility whilst also preventing information loss:

1.    Educate employees - Ensure that there are policies and procedures in place that help individuals to be smarter about how they use mobile technology. Ensuring that those using smartphones really need them, and implementing timeframes for reporting lost or stolen devices will go a long way to help.
2.    Encrypt the data on the devices - the information stored on, or accessible from a company’s mobile devices is an SMB’s most important asset.  Encrypting this data is a must.  If the device is lost and the SIM card is stolen, the thief will not be able to access the data if the proper encryption technology is loaded on the device.
3.    Make sure security software is up to date – SMBs must treat mobile devices just like they would their PC, and keep security software up to date.  This will protect the device from new variants of malware and viruses that threaten an SMB’s critical information.
4.    Develop and enforce strong security policies for using mobile devices– in addition to encryption and security updates, it is important to enforce password management for managers and employees.  Maintaining strong passwords will help protect the data stored on the phone if a device is lost or hacked.
5.    Use caution when enabling Bluetooth connections – a phone’s Bluetooth setting is on by default, so it will need to be turned off or paired with the device and configured with the headset.  If not, the device will look for other Bluetooth-enabled phones to connect to, and could result in malware being loaded on to the device.

By advising customers to seek out means of addressing these areas, the channel can enable businesses to control the risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime and minimise the threat of losing important customer data. This will allow them to conduct their day-to-day business activities while enjoying the increased flexibility and productivity that mobility brings.