Companies should leverage available mobile security measures

The need for mobile device security measures can't be overlooked as more employees at various companies are leveraging smartphones and tablets on a daily basis. As the number of mobile professionals increases, so too should an organization's emphasis on data security measures.

According to a recent eSecurityPlanet report, there is much that the IT department can do to promote such goals. It's more of a matter of mobile security earning the attention it deserves, as many of the tips identified by the news provider are quick and easy to carry out.

For example, the report encouraged mobile end-users to utilize the lock and password protection capabilities now offered by just about all smartphones and tablets. This is a user's first line of defense in protecting against unauthorized access to the device, but it routinely goes unused.

"It helps prevent others from picking up your phone or device and snooping around if it becomes lost, stolen, or just left unattended," the report stated.

Next, users should take advantage of the encryption capabilities of their devices. The iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones come equipped with such data security measures, but they are rendered useless if they aren't leveraged by the end-user.

Encryption is less common among Android-based offerings, the report stated, so a company will have to be careful when choosing one for a mobile device management program.

Remote or auto wipe of mobile data is another area that is becoming increasingly popular among enterprise users. The hard truth is that smartphones and tablets will be lost or stolen, but companies are fighting back by requiring users to allow them to completely wipe the information stored on the devices in order to keep it out of the wrong hands. When doing so, however, the report said information should be backed up so it can be retrieved by the company.

"Just remember to keep all your data regularly backed up and use a solution that lets you restore the data to a new device in case you can’t find the one you wiped," the report said.

When it comes to data security measures, a recent whitepaper published by CIO Magazine warned companies not to leave the responsibility of protecting information up to the end-user. Instead, mobile device management strategies and policies should dictate the actions that must be taken to lock down the company's smartphones and tablets.