Consider Mobile Work Patterns and Security Impact

Mobility and application access capabilities have encouraged many of today’s work patterns. Some work behaviors were recently noted in a Cisco-commissioned research report on mobility and BYOD comparing IT and end user viewpoints. Striking about the findings is that day-to-day business activities were relatively balanced on wired and wireless connections—so while mobility is here and growing, usage is no more than wired. Core to the findings were end users’ view that mobile devices are 37% less effective than their corporate laptop for conducting business activities. From an IT perspective, managing devices and multiple policies in a wired and wireless environment was a key challenge. Mobile device usage behaviors surveyed suggested a personal and social flair. The predominant applications used on mobile devices are not specific business applications (22%) but collaborative applications (56%). The report also indicates that mobile devices are used for personal use more frequently than IT estimates.

Coming from RSA 2013 this week, one might ask “so what does this mean for security?” To address the management of multiple devices and policies across wired and wireless, consider Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE). ISE offers a single pane to secure access across wired, wireless and VPN. And if organizations want greater control over mobile device behaviors, ISE provides IT the option to set up selected access to specific applications and services by device and user. Cisco also offers a Secure Access solution that combines ISE, Cisco AnyConnect, Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA), and Cisco TrustSec. This solution is integrated into the Cisco wired, wireless, and remote access infrastructure. Will personal and social behavior on mobile devices increase security risks? As the number of mobile users grows, such growth is more susceptible to malware—a growing security issue for search engines and social networks. For more details, check out the Cisco 2013 Annual Security Report. .

How does your organization view employee behavior on mobile devices and manage the security risks associated with such devices? Let us hear from you!