Mobile device security still a top concern of IT execs

Feb 13, 2007 12:36 PM

Mobility and security are the two most pressing issues facing IT executives in 2007, according to an industry report by The EQUS Group, a technology market research firm.

The study details the concerns of 83 IT executives who participated in exhaustive interviews.

EQUS found the majority of respondents ranked protection from attack as their highest concern, with 77 percent ranking its importance as 'high' or 'very high.'

Proprietary data protection ranked second in importance, with 71 percent of respondents identifying this issue as high or very high importance. The majority of respondents also cited customer and client privacy and regulatory compliance as areas of continued importance for 2007.

The study also finds that, despite record revenues for the thumb drive industry in 2006, 74 percent of companies are increasingly concerned with the unique security risks thumb drives present.

"Considering the recent rise in data theft from mobile devices, companies have every reason to be concerned about thumb drive and other mobile device security," says Al Nazareli, CEO of EQUS. "However, these devices have become indispensable business tools, and, as a result, companies are walking a fine line between trying to protect their networks and allowing employees the tools they need to do business."

The study also examines whether smart cards and biometrics would be widely implemented this year. According to the study, only 13 percent of companies plan to implement smart cards in 2007; and just nine percent of companies have plans to implement biometrics this year.

Visit www.equsgroup.com/Content/knowledge_center.html for more information.

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© 2008 Penton Media Inc.

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