Defense Department stresses mobile device security

As mobile technologies become more prevalent in the workforce, many industry sectors are encouraging their employees to practice caution when using mobile devices.

The Department of Defense is beginning to explore the opportunities that smartphones and other mobile devices can create. However, because of the strict information that the agency uses, it is trying to ensure that each user employs the devices securely, the American Forces Press Service reported.

"We do want this innovation in the Department of Defense so we don’t want to say no," Robert Young, the division chief of outreach and communications for the Defense-wide Information Assurance Program, told the news source. "We want to do it safely and securely."

One of the main concerns that worries the DoD is the general lack of knowledge of how mobile devices work and how they can be compromised. With this in mind, the DoD is creating a pilot program to test out the technologies with the Army and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the news source reported.

According to the Pew Internet Project, more than one-third of adults have smartphones, and almost two-thirds of those access the internet or email daily with the devices. Organizations should understand the importance of having a strong mobile device management policy in place to ensure that the technologies are being used in a safe and efficient way.