Mobile Working Erodes Security In Organisations

According to an annual security survey conducted by SafeNet, there has been a significant increase in the percentage of organisations that support mobile or remote working for their staff since May 2006.

The number of organisations, which support remote working for more than 50% of their employee base has risen to 26%, from 18% last year. 61% of the 1,200 senior IT and security professionals surveyed are still relying on passwords to protect their corporate networks.

Two-factor authentication has long been considered a more secure solution than just password protection. However, just 15% of survey respondents said they used tokens to secure remote access of mobile workers. While only 8 and 3% respectively used smart cards and/or biometric solutions.

More from Biztech

Future Group - Reliance Retail Deal approved by CCI RBI ban on cryptocurrencies takes effect; prohibition could force investors to tap the black market

“An increase of 8% of the mobile workforce really is significant, as this could translate to hundreds of thousands of staff working outside the office firewall,” said Gary Clark, VP EMEA, SafeNet. “However, organisations trying to reap the benefits of mobile working without implementing adequate security technology to protect the network are sitting on a security time bomb.”

In the same survey, almost a third of respondents admitted that unauthorised access to information systems by outsiders is their primary security concern.

According to Deepak Prasad, VP, Global Outsourcing, SafeNet Infotech, “Mobile working and security do not have to be mutually exclusive or even a trade-off. Organisations need to adapt their security measures along with their working practices, to include more flexible forms of working that allow authorised people in and keep unauthorised people out.”