New Survey Shows Widespread Use of Consumer Smartphones for Access to Sensitive Corporate Information

SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(EMWNews – July 22, 2008) – GuardianEdge, the leader in endpoint data protection for the

enterprise, today announced the results of a consumer survey on smartphone

usage, revealing that 70 percent of respondents access what they deem to be

sensitive information on their smartphone device when away from the office.

The “Smartphone Protection Consumer Survey,” notes that today’s businesses

have become “always on” environments, with employees becoming increasingly

reliant upon mobile devices for connectivity when on the road or away from

the office. In many cases, employees take the need for increased

productivity into their own hands, using their own mobile devices when

corporate ones are not provided.

The GuardianEdge-sponsored survey was independently conducted by Decipher,

a marketing research service provider specializing in the gathering of

online consumer data. It further underscores the threat that smartphones

pose to corporate IT security, finding that 89 percent of the 200

respondents polled stated that they were able to review e-mail or access

corporate information via their smartphone device. This constant

connectivity to company systems, without appropriate protections in place,

can create tremendous vulnerabilities in the IT security infrastructure as

the devices themselves become smaller, more powerful and more susceptible

to loss or theft. However, despite the potential threats from these

devices, 69 percent of respondents believe it is necessary to store company

or job-related information on their smartphone in order to perform their

job function. With access to corporate information on-the-go becoming a

necessity for the workforce, organizations can no longer ignore the use of

personal smartphones within their organizations.

In addition to revealing consumer smartphone usage habits, the survey also

showed that consumer smartphone users are not ignorant of the security

risks that their devices pose. A majority of those polled were open to the

deployment of data protection technologies on their personal or company

issued smartphone device, specifically:

--  82 percent of respondents stated they would be open to their company

    deploying security technology on their personal or company issued

    smartphone.

--  75 percent of respondents claimed that they would feel more

    comfortable traveling for work if their smartphone device was protected

    with an encryption technology.

--  85 percent of respondents stated they believe companies should deploy

    data protection technologies on any smartphone device containing company

    information or accesses company systems for employees who travel.

    

“Smartphone security will take on increasing importance within enterprise

organizations,” said Ram Krishnan, senior vice president of products and

marketing at GuardianEdge. “As these mobile devices become more powerful,

have the ability to store more information, and are increasingly connected

to the corporate infrastructure, it is only a matter of time before

smartphones become the source of the next data breach. It is also

important for enterprises to not overlook the protection of personal

smartphone solutions as they pose a significant threat to the corporate

network. The GuardianEdge Smartphone Protection solution provides

enterprise organizations with a scalable, centrally managed solution,

protecting their corporate smartphone devices, and eliminating corporate

risk resulting from lost or stolen smartphone devices.”

About GuardianEdge

GuardianEdge is the leading

provider in endpoint data protection for the enterprise. More than two

million users around the world depend on GuardianEdge solutions to

safeguard sensitive and proprietary information, to ensure compliance with

regulations for maintaining consumer privacy and to enable secure

enterprise mobility. The company’s endpoint data protection solutions have

been deployed by leading organizations including Lockheed Martin

Corporation, Deutsche Bank AG and Humana Inc., as well as numerous agencies

in the U.S. departments of Veteran Affairs, Defense, State and Education.

For additional information, please visit: www.guardianedge.com.