Device security is real fear for staff

BYOD-enabled workers do not trust their employers to secure their personal devices in the workplace, according to a survey.

Workplace privacy is the biggest concern for employees being asked to use their own mobile devices in the office, found analyst firm Ovum’s survey of 5,000 workers from 19 countries.

A total 84% of them rated privacy as a top concern, while 70% of those already using their smartphones at work did not trust their employer to manage the corporate mobility service; 42% would prefer their mobile operator to do so.

Meanwhile, among staff who do not yet use their phones for work, 24% had a general mistrust of their employer having any kind of control over their devices.

Ciaran Bradley, chief product officer at AdaptiveMobile, said: "Trust is the magic word when it comes to empowering employees to use their own devices in the workplace. The mobile device is such an inherently personal part of our lives that people want to know that their details are safe. Where the IT department may be stigmatised in the eyes of employees, they see the mobile operator as the trusted service provider."

In addition to privacy, 67% of respondents cited malicious websites as a reason to avoid using their personal devices for work, and 57% cited malicious apps.

"Employee concerns over security and privacy are consistent across all operating systems – and with mobility meaning IT departments are confronted with a multitude of platforms to secure, the opportunity for operators is to provide a mobile network level security solution that gives the IT department the control they need," claimed Bradley.

Despite these worries, Ovum’s research found the rate of BYOD adoption – with or without employers’ knowledge – is up from 57% last year to 69% this year.

Senior analyst Richard Absalom said: "As a behavioral trend it is actually increasing and having an impact in every organisation. Businesses everywhere need to find ways of balancing corporate security demands with employees’ privacy concerns when using personal devices for work."