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Smartphone users 'worried over security'

Dubai, November 3, 2010

Majority of the customers have cited “level of security” as a top or high priority when buying or using smartphones and tablet computers, according to a recent global consumer study released by Juniper Networks.

A leader in the business of network innovation, Juniper said the study showed significant mobile security gap as four out of five respondents were concerned about the security.
 
The research, commissioned by Juniper and conducted by KRC Research and Synovate with more than 6,000 smartphone and tablet users across 16 countries, revealed a blurring of the lines between the personal and business use of mobile devices and highlighted the need for more stringent and better integrated mobile security.

'More than half were anxious about losing their mobile devices, protecting their identities and protecting their families with parental controls. At the same time, nearly three out of four people surveyed use their mobile devices to share or access sensitive personal or business information,' the study revelaed.

“Smartphones and tablets have become the new onramp for information, applications and commerce – yet they are quickly becoming an onramp for security threats as well,” said Mark Bauhaus, executive vice president and general manager, Service Layer Technologies Business Group at Juniper Networks.

'Almost 44 per cent of respondents use their devices for both personal and business purposes, while fewer than 4 per cent use them strictly for business.'

'If business IT leaders think they can keep the devices at bay, 81 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,' Mark said, citing the study.

“Fortunately users are growing very aware of the security, identity and privacy issues involved. Now the industry needs to step up and make security an integrated part of the mobile experience, not an optional afterthought,” he added.

More than 58 per cent of smartphone and tablet users surveyed fear losing their devices and not being able to recover the data and information on their device.

A similar number (64 per cent) are extremely or very concerned about the possibility of identity theft resulting from the use of their mobile device. Parental controls matter too, with 53 per cent of all respondents finding them extremely or very important.

'It may come as no surprise then that 41 per cent of respondents say that level of security is a “top priority” and 40 per cent say it is a “high priority” when considering the purchase or use of a smartphone/tablet,' Mark said.

'Yet the study reveals that there is a gap between the level of security that users want and the amount of security they will manage themselves - only 24 per cent of respondents frequently change the security settings on their mobile devices.'

'Thirty-five percent (35 per cent) do so only when a need arises, 31 per cent rarely or never change them and 9 per cent are unfamiliar with the security settings on their mobile devices.'

Moreover, 14 per cent of respondents say neither their smartphone nor their tablet is password protected, he added.-TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Security | Smartphone | Juniper |

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