Consumerisation of IT causes workplace security fears

Latest figures from Dell Kace, reveal 87 per cent of firms questioned have employees that use personal devices at work

An increasing number of firms are unable to protect sensitive data because of personal devices being used at work, a Dell Kace survey has claimed.

Out of the 750 IT professionals questioned, 87 per cent of respondents had employees that use personal laptops, smartphones and tablet computers in the workplace.

Results also showed that two-thirds of survey respondents reported security concerns, and more than half felt that their organisation lacked the tools needed to effectively manage personal devices.

A further 62 per cent were specifically concerned about network security breaches and 32 per cent reported the use of devices that were not authorised to be connected to a company network.

Diane Hagglund, senior research analyst at Dimensional Research, said: “The majority of companies do not have a proper strategy in place to manage these devices.”

“This opens them up to serious security risks, especially in the small and medium business market, so it is critical that companies put policies and standards into place to support these devices, and ensure the security of corporate and intellectual property.”