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IT pros can’t be bothered with passwords, says survey
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25/06/2009
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Even IT security professionals are suffering from password fatigue when it comes to using mobile devices – leaving data exposed to theft. That's chief among the findings of a survey by data protection specialists Credant Technologies. More than a third (35%) said they don't get around to using a password on their business phones and smartphones, even though they know they should.
And surprisingly, IT professionals are only marginally better at using passwords than the general population, as a survey conducted earlier in the year, also by Credant, found that 40% of users don't bother with passwords on mobile phones.
Yet its survey reveals that the sorts of information IT professionals are storing on smartphones and mobiles include:
80% business names and addresses
23% business emails
12% business diary
1% passwords and pin numbers
Says Andrew Kahl, co-founder of Credant: "It is alarming to note that the very people who are responsible for IT security are not much better at protecting the information on their business phones than most of their co-workers, who don't necessarily know any better.
"If a mobile or smartphone goes missing, isn't protected with a password, and contains business names and addresses and other corporate data, then the company is immediately in breach of the Data Protection Act."
Of even greater concern, he points out, is the damage that can be done to a company, if the phone falls into the wrong hands – exposing it to corporate identity theft. "It is imperative that all mobile phone users who hold sensitive data should always password protect it at a minimum – and encrypt it if the data is really sensitive," adds Kahl.
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Author
Brian Tinham
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