Smartphones may mean risky business

Tests highlight security risks for smartphones

A recent global study conducted by Juniper Networks on smartphone use found that three out of four people currently use their mobiles to share and access sensitive business information.

The report, Risky Business: Survey Shows Smartphone Security Concerns Running High, which surveyed more than 6,000 mobile device users across 16 countries, argued that this increasingly blurry line between personal and business use was throwing up many security concerns.

“Smartphones and tablets have become the new on-ramp for information, applications and commerce – yet they are quickly becoming an on-ramp for security threats as well,” said Mark Bauhaus, executive vice president and general manager, Service Layer Technologies Business Group at Juniper Networks.

According to the report, some 81 per cent of users also admitted using devices to access their employer’s network without their employer’s knowledge, and of these 58 per cent do it every day.

Although 41 per cent of those surveyed perceive "level of security" as being a top priority when purchasing a smartphone, 31 per cent never change their security settings and 14 per cent do not password protect their devices.

A separate report by software integrity company Coverity has also found software faults in an Android kernel, which could pose a security risk for business users of the HTC Incredible smartphone.

Of the 359 software defects identified, 25 per cent are considered to be high risk, with potential to cause security breaches and crashes.

“Although we can only comment on the specific Android smartphone we tested, we do know that his specific kernel is being used in other phones,” said Dave Peterson, chief marketing officer at Coverity.

“It is only fair for consumers to expect their devices to be thoroughly tested and secure. This has not happened here and a lot of work has to be done by all parties involved,” he added.

Coverity has put its findings to HTC but has not yet received a response.