Employees want the freedom to choose the newest and best gadgets. But are all mobile devices safe for work?

“Free as a bird, is the next best thing to be,” sang the Beatles. This is what modern workers want more and more: they want to be able to work while commuting, on business trips and at home, even in the middle of the night or at weekends.

Naturally, the need for greater out-of-hours and out-of-office accessibility to work resources has grown with the development of new, smaller and lighter mobile devices. With the choice getting wider by the day, professionals want to be free to use the machines they are used to, their own iPad or smartphone for example, rather than being forced to choose only from the cumbersome, style-free machines approved by the IT department.

Some organisations have considered setting a budget for hardware expenses and allowing individuals to choose their own machine. Although arguably democratic, this move can turn out to be a disaster for two main reasons: firstly, the organisation would need to provide widely skilled, up-to-date support to cover all of the machines. Secondly, and most importantly, the trendiest and newest gadgets often present the biggest security risks.

It is not by chance that iPads and iPhones are not popular in the workplace. These devices are not suitable for remote VDI access and lack security lockdown features. Many smartphones were not originally designed for business or corporate use, and therefore do not support data encryption. In addition, because of their novelty they may be more vulnerable to viruses and hacking.

Keep in mind that trendy devices are more eye-catching and at a higher risk of being stolen. If the device is not effectively password-protected and its data encrypted, then the thief could gain full access to sensitive commercial information.

Another risk is that the smallest, lightest devices tend to have less storage capacity, forcing users to transfer and store data through external memory sticks, or other unconventional tools, which allow data storage, such as memory cards or mp3 players, perhaps to conceal sensitive information. Memory sticks are easy to lose, and unconventional tools often don’t provide adequate levels of data protection.

Even with the new Data Protection regulations, which force private companies to declare breaches to the Information Commissioner who is free to make them public, and fine breachers up to £500,000, it still seems that many organisations do not fully understand the need to enhance their security measures. A survey conducted by ICD Research in association with CBR found that organisations are planning to spend 42 per cent more on mobility this year, while 36 per cent will spend the same budget as the previous year.

However, surprisingly, 61 per cent are planning to spend the same amount of money on security as the year before, and only 28 per cent are going to increase their spending. It appears that although organisations recognise the need for mobile devices and to embrace mobility, they do not completely realise the importance of security, which becomes even more crucial when work is taken outside the office doors.

To be effective, security must work in layers, and protect access equally from the outside and from the inside. Apart from passwords and physical barriers to impede external access, it is important to update antivirus software regularly, especially on the more modern devices, which are typically more vulnerable to bugs and attack by hackers.

 Ayodele Soleye is a senior consultant at Plan-Net