Security Risks From Mobile Devices Create Opportunities For VARs

By Pedro Pereira, Business Solutions magazine.

As an increasing number of users bring personal devices to work, SMBs face new security risks which for the most part they have failed to address, putting the onus on solutions providers to guide their clients through an expanding minefield of threats.

Users are tapping their employers' networks to download applications and data through their own smartphones, laptops, and tablets, potentially exposing those networks to serious risks. Considering a recent study, the potential is huge. The July 2011 study by the Computing Technology Industry Association reported that of 602 SMBs polled, 85% said some type of employee-owned mobile device is being used at work, with 66% citing laptops, 60% smartphones, and 38% tablets.