Security professionals fear smartphone threat

Security chiefs must learn how to accommodate smartphones safely in the organisation

Ninety per cent of security professionals believe that smartphones pose a significant risk to the enterprise, according to a new survey of over 2,000 members of security certifications organisation ISC2.

Employees are increasingly bringing their own smartphones to work and using them for corporate purposes, but ISC2 explained that, instead of banning them outright, IT security chiefs should learn how to accommodate them safely into the organisation.

"Internet phones are like wireless networks four or five years ago: security professionals are against them because of the security problems, but in reality people like to use them," said John Colley, European managing director at ISC2.

"We have to relax and find ways of making them secure, which will need a combination of rules, education and technology."

However, Colley warned that, aside from the BlackBerry, many smartphones "do not have a good security model behind them". He urged security professionals to engage with manufacturers and suppliers to address the problem.

"Targeted attacks represent a significant threat, but most losses come from the accidental threat - leaving handsets in taxis and so on - where password protection can help," he said.