Today, small businesses (with fewer than 25 employees) and Start-ups show almost the same pace of adoption of mobile devices and mobile devices technologies with large companies. However, most are not sufficiently informed about security issues, and lack the technical expertise and the necessary budget for the proper protection of portable devices, whether belonging to the company or its employees (BYOD).
Recently research Kaspersky Lab's survey of 3.900 IT professionals from around the world highlighted the challenges they faced over the past 12 months. At a rate 36%, participants from Europe said they have managed to integrate mobile devices into the day-to-day operation of small businesses and start-ups. It is remarkable that this percentage is almost identical to the percentage of mobile device integration for large businesses, which touchs 37% in Europe. This means that smaller companies adopt the use of mobile technologies at the same pace as the very large companies that have more than 5.000 employees!
The use of mobile technologies can not be limited by business size, but there are other key factors that need to be addressed. Specialization and resources are the most obvious obstacles for small businesses, which often lack the expertise to implement technological applications. These limitations can even create problems for small business owners who are well informed about security issues.
For example, 43% of small businesses in Europe reported "portable device security" among their top three IT priorities for the next 12 months. When asked about the policies they have adopted with regard to the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) model, whereby employees use their personal portable devices for business purposes, the research revealed a significant difference in perception depending on the size of companies, as only 10% of small businesses have adopted relevant practices.
When asked about technological trends, the 22% representatives of small businesses and start-ups from Europe agreed that the trend BYOD import a significant risk of digital security. However, the corresponding figure for large corporations and business organizations was almost double, with 53% and 42% respectively, agreeing that the adoption of BYOD leads to risks.
So is it possible that small businesses are overlooking that employee-owned mobile devices could be a security risk? This is a particularly concerning prospect, given that small businesses are more likely to view the use of employee-owned devices as a cost-saving measure. The most common threats to employee-owned mobile devices include malicious software, οι εφαρμογές απατεώνων που συνδέονται στο εταιρικό δίκτυο μέσω της συσκευής του εργαζόμενου, καθώς και η κλοπή ή απώλεια των συσκευών που μπορεί να οδηγήσει σε απώλεια εταιρικών δεδομένων.
What can they do? start-ups and small businesses
Despite the limited financial resources and potential lack of know-how around advanced security solutions, small businesses and start-ups can use mobile technology - including employee-owned devices - without having to invest a lot of time or money. By combining common sense with appropriate technology, they can greatly ensure the protection of mobile devices and focus on their daily operation.
1) Workers' training: Employees are the first line of business data protection. Businesses should ensure that new employees know that if their smartphones or tablets contain workplace-related information, they should not engage in unreasonably risky usage habits (e.g. browsing questionable content websites). Also, in case a device is lost or stolen, the fact should be reported to the company immediately.
2) Basic anti-theft protection: The adoption of a solution software that can remotely wipe data from a lost or stolen device is essential, but also quite affordable. Some devices have built-in anti-theft features, and there are many third-party apps that can be used for this purpose. Of course, in this case, the employee should know that if the data is deleted from his device, personal information that he has stored on it is usually lost. This means that employees should maintain back-up records.
3) Avoiding complexity: A newly established start-up with few employees is not in a position to spend many hours buying, implementing and managing security solutions aimed at large enterprises and not developed for their own needs. Therefore, small companies should avoid buying a product that is "bigger" than their actual needs and settle for the basic features to secure their mobile devices.
To meet the needs of small businesses and start-ups, Kaspersky Lab offers the Kaspersky Small Office Security solution, which contains key mobile protection features such as technologies anti-malware, anti-theft and control applications. The solution includes basic mobile device management, data encryption and endpoint security tools in an easy-to-use interface that can be set up in minutes.
At Kaspersky Lab's site, visitors can find more information about it Kaspersky Small Office Security And the mobile technologies the company's. Finally, especially for small businesses and start-ups, Kaspersky Lab has developed an electronic one guide with detailed information on mobile security technologies and BYOD voltage.
