Mobile device users compromise employers’ private data

Over half of mobile devices users access their employers’ networks daily without being allowed to. Over 80% of mobile devices users whose security is not controlled by a company, say they have accessed work information.

According to the data from Juniper Networks who polled 6,000 mobile device owners, the use of such gadgets as smartphones and tablets is a serious security threat for corporate information storage.

As long as consumer devices like smartphones and computer tablets are far more poorly secured than laptops or special protected email devices designed and configured by a company's own IT department they leak the sensitive information more. Thus, in spited of the fact that many consumers are concerned with the information security they are using the machines to bypass corporate data protection measures.

"Almost 44 per cent of respondents use their devices for both personal and business purposes," said a Juniper statement. "Eighty-one per cent admit using their devices to access their employer's network without their employer's knowledge or permission and 58 per cent do so every single day."

"More than 76 per cent of consumers surveyed use their smartphones or tablets to access sensitive personal or business information," said the Juniper statement. "Fifty-one per cent [used them] to enter or modify passwords; 43 per cent to access banking or credit card statements; 30 per cent to access utility bills; 20 per cent to share financial information such as credit card numbers; 18 per cent to access employer's proprietary information; 17 per cent to access medical records; and 16 per cent to share social security numbers."