Users of smartphones and tablets are spending more time than ever on their devices, whether they are checking email, surfing the mobile Web or utilizing applications. That means data volumes created by these devices continue to rise, as does the threat for loss and breaches of the information.
And it appears that it's only a matter of time before end users become more aware of these data security threats for mobile devices and react accordingly. In fact, a recent report from iTWeb predicted that mobile security solutions will be used just as often as Internet security software for desktops and laptops.
“The increasing popularity of smartphones and tablets makes this particularly relevant, as many users are now accustomed to accessing emails, Web sites and performing online transactions on the move, thereby storing more and more potentially sensitive data," data protection expert Simon Campbell-Young told iTWeb.
The sharpest growth for the smartphone market was experienced earlier this year when it seemed as though mobile users flocked to the devices.
Research firm IDC predicted that the market would grow nearly 50 percent in 2011. In all, the company said handset makers would ship some 450 million units this year, compared to 303.4 million in 2010. And that was predicted long before Apple debuted the latest incarnation of its popular iPhone.
About the same time IDC released its statistics, fellow research firm Nielsen said 2011 would be the year smartphones overtook feature phones for the first time. The two market segments have been in direct contrast since the second quarter of 2008, with smartphones poised to take the lead this year.
However, with greater use of the devices also comes increased threats to mobile data and the smartphones themselves. The iTWeb report cited a recent Juniper Research study that forecasted enterprises to lead the charge for greater mobile data protection services during the next five years. During that time, businesses will account for 69 percent of the market, the report found, according to iTWeb.
For companies, much of the need for mobile data security solutions has stemmed from the consumerization of IT. With more employees bringing technology from home, companies are concerned that the business data accessed by and stored on such devices is inherently insecure, according to a recent Forbes report.
Forbes predicted that many companies will solve the problem by embracing a hybrid approach to managing mobility by lending support to both employee-owned and corporate-liable devices.
Consumerization News from SimplySecurity.com
