There is significant room for improvement when it comes to data security on mobile devices, according to a report released by the Ponemon Institute.
Researchers surveyed 21,465 information technology and data security professionals with knowledge of employees' data practices.
Findings include:
Percentage of employees who use mobile devices to access regulated data:
71 to 100 percent: 23 percent
41 to 70 percent: 35 percent
0 to 40 percent: 32 percent
Don't know: 10 percent
On instances of employees circumventing or disabling security settings when accessing data on their mobile devices:
Happens frequently: 22 percent
Happens occasionally: 36 percent
Happens rarely: 19 percent
Does not happen: 22 percent
Percentage of hospitals that use recommended data security measures for mobile devices:
Mobile device management: 12 percent
Mobile digital rights management: 6 percent
Mobile application management: 4 percent
On state of compliance for regulated data on mobile devices:
Substantial compliance: 12 percent
Partial compliance: 31 percent
Not in compliance: 17 percent
Cannot determine: 40 percent
The report offers six best practices for improving mobile data security.
- Create awareness throughout the organization that regulated data on mobile devices should be just as protected and secured as all other sensitive and confidential information.
- Make sure security policies include guidance on what employees should be doing to protect the regulated data on the mobile devices they use. This includes stressing the importance of not circumventing or disabling security features.
- Conduct a data inventory of sensitive and confidential information to understand what regulated data is on the mobile devices of employees.
- Understand who is accessing regulated data through mobile devices and for what purposes in order to increase visibility of people and business processes.
- Consider data-centric protections for personally owned devices.
- Consider investing in technologies that specifically address the regulated data risk.
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