CDM-CYBER-DEFENSE-eMAGAZINE-March-2019

Best Practices for Balancing BYOD with Mobile Security
Protecting Sensitive Data in a Mobile-First World
By JT Keating, Vice President of Product Strategy, Zimperium
The rapid evolution and advancement of technology has made us almost incapable of separating
our devices from the way we conduct our everyday lives, personally and professionally. From the
Apple Watch to wearables, tablets and smartphones, bring your own device (BYOD) is no longer
something to try to plan for in the future, but something companies have to deal with right now.
The benefits provided by our devices’ ability to communicate instantly, exchange files and simplify
complex business operations has skyrocketed productivity rates and made collaborating with our
colleagues – across offices and borders – practically instant. When computers became essential
throughout every work environment, however, cyberattacks weren’t far behind. Eventually, the C-
Suite woke up to the reality of cybersecurity and the need to take it seriously to stay afloat in
today’s competitive landscape.
However, the increasing reliance worldwide on smartphones and mobile apps has occurred
perhaps more rapidly than any other endpoint. In fact, Gartner predicts that demand for enterprise
mobile apps will grow five times against the development capacity in 2017. Amidst this impressive
growth, the security of mobile devices has been consistently put on the back burner – and hackers
have taken notice.
Mobile Fraud Is Skyrocketing, While Awareness Is Not
In a recent survey, Zimperium found that fifty-one percent of respondents reported an increase in
mobile threats in the last 12 months. In fact, according to the RSA Fraud & Risk Intelligence
Service, more than 70 percent of fraud is now mobile. In 2018 alone, Zimperium discovered two