Security issues to blame for slow roll-out of mobile computing

Companies are scared to set up wireless and remote computing systems because of the security issues, according to research sponsored by Symantec.

More than 60 per cent of companies are holding back on deploying the technology because they have concerns over its security, the global survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit found.

According to the report, 82 per cent of businesses worldwide think the damage from virus attacks would be the same or greater on a mobile network than on a fixed network.

However, the majority of businesses are not prepared for the possibility of a virus attacking their mobile systems.

"The research highlights serious weaknesses in firms' present security arrangements for mobile devices," the survey found.

"Only 26 per cent have actually assessed the security risks of smartphones, compared with 81 per cent of enterprises conducting security assessments for laptops."

Ollie Whitehouse, a wireless research scientist at Symantec, added: "It is prudent for enterprises to gain experience in mobile deployments and security before a serious attack makes it mandatory and time critical.

"While most enterprises are aware of the risks introduced with mobility, they continue to lack the appropriate security measures and policies required to protect themselves from potential threats."

Only nine per cent of the companies surveyed had set up a security system to deal with corporate mobile devices.

Of the rest, 10 per cent have no measures for addressing mobile security, while 39 per cent are currently integrating devices into their existing fixed network security set-up.

The figures varied for businesses throughout the world. In Western Europe, 55 per cent of businesses have deployed security software to protect mobile data, compared to 44 per cent in Asia-Pacific and just 36 per cent in North America.

The Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed more than 240 global company executives.