It is impossible to inflate the criticality of mobile and connected devices in the enterprise today.
Workers rely on their mobile devices for collaboration, research, and production both inside and outside the office. Covid lockdowns hastened the move overnight to remote work, and later to hybrid operating environments. At the same time, enterprises have greatly expanded their use of connected devices to support a range of operational functions.
Work via mobile devices
One of the effects of this migration to more distributed and virtual work models is that the enterprise has more access points, each of which represent a potential security vulnerability.
Verizon’s annual Mobile Security Index survey of 600 security professionals found a proliferation of mobile and IoT devices, with 62% of all authentications to enterprise networks coming from mobile and connected devices. There is a recognition that staff members are doing more essential work via their mobile devices than in the past.
Critically, 50% acknowledged that mobile devices have more access to sensitive information than even just a year ago. The extension of remote work has made mobile security a more important agenda item for 86%.
Work location and device flexibility are considered incentives to entice top-flight work candidates by the same number – 86%. Because that flexibility appeals to both new talent and existing employees, hybrid operating models are likely here to stay.
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By GlobalDataThe proliferation of connected devices is changing the security picture. Almost all – 95%-have at least some connected devices in their environments, while 62% describe their IoT environments as “mature, full scale.”
critical infrastructure
Virtually all organisations operating critical infrastructure such as utilities and water systems – 96%- have IoT deployments. Critical infrastructure is often cited for as vulnerable to attacks because of issue such as out-of-date or insufficient security controls.
The survey results bear that out with 53% of those representing these organisations noting that had suffered serious security events resulting in downtime or data loss. A worrying 48% of those operating critical infrastructure said that a compromise of an IoT device caused a major operational issue.
What is clear from the research is that the mass use of mobile and IoT devices has produced more complex and potentially more porous enterprise environments. The first step to protecting these is understanding that effective multi-layer security controls need to be in place and then building out plans to execute on that.
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