The importance of mobile network security

In the modern business world, enterprise mobility is slowly but surely becoming a necessity in corporate computing. With the emergence of smartphones, tablets, laptops and other devices, organizations have been able to take a mobile approach to their business processes and overall strategies. The trend is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.

That said, organizations that don't take the time to implement the correct management and security solutions now may experience problems in the near future. For a while now, the security of mobile devices has been a major concern of analysts and other professionals in the information technology sector. As technologies have grown, so too have the fears of IT professionals. To add to the growing concern, the widespread use of networks is leading to a strain on cybersecurity unseen before. Organizations of all sizes must take preventative action against outages by securing their networks and adding backup support to their systems.

So what are companies waiting on?
According research conducted by Gartner, more than 50 percent of individuals who make up the workforce reported that their desktop computer was their primary device. Keep in mind that 80 percent of the people surveyed were issued corporate devices. Mikako Kitagawa, a principal research analyst at Gartner, was baffled by the survey's results:

"In the era of mobility, it comes as something of a surprise that corporate usage of smartphones and tablets is not as high as PCs, even when the use of personally owned devices is taken into account," Kitagawa said in a statement. "While it's true that the cost of providing mobile devices can quickly escalate, proper usage of mobile devices can increase productivity, which can easily justify the extra costs."

Companies must embrace mobility in a mature fashion. This would include policies and provisions for network monitoring, mobile device and application security, end user support, and training to ensure all employees are on the same page. Moreover, organizations should rethink what devices they are providing employees. According to the same study, a mere 23 percent of people who received corporate devices of any sort got smartphones.

Regardless of what devices are being used in the workplace, however, companies would do well to bolster their network securities. At MC Services, our certified IT consultants can teach your employees how to operate safely and securely on corporate networks. From iOS management and specialized device training to Mac repair, we support businesses looking to work faster, smarter and safer. To learn more, contact us today.