appearance in the workplace means organizations have to worry about
data-stealing malware as well as the danger of lost and stolen
devices.
The increased risk to personal and corporate data is an opportunity
for the mobile-security industry, and the global market for mobile
security is expected to reach $14.4 billion by 2017, market research
firm Global Industry Analysts said in an Aug. 24 report. Issues such
as data breaches, unauthorized access to and loss of personal
information stored within the mobile phone, malware and malicious
applications all highlight the need for comprehensive mobile security.
The report, "Mobile Security: A Global Strategic Business Report,"
reviewed trends for all major geographic markets, including the United
States, Canada, Japan, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, Latin America and
others. Analysts also examined trends in mobile-security client
software and in mobile-network-security appliances and software, which
includes integrated security appliances, content security gateways and
intrusion-detection/-prevention systems.
"Security issues have taken on extreme importance in recent years,"
Global Industry Analysts said in the report.
The "evolution" of smart mobile computer devices such as laptops,
personal digital assistants, smartphones and tablet PCs into tools
commonly used for both business and personal use presents a
"tremendous opportunity" for the global mobile-security market, the
firm said.
Mobile-application development is a relatively new field, and
technologies for securing mobile-application code are immature,
analyst Chenxi Wang wrote in a recent Forrester Research report.
Vulnerabilities in mobile code, flawed application architecture or
improper handling of credentials can lead to embarrassing data
breaches, network intrusions or hacker attacks, Wang said.
Mobile-security client software is currently the fastest-growing
market as security vendors roll out mobile antivirus, Web-filtering
and other applications for smartphones and tablets. Global Industry
Analysts estimated that the market would grow by more than 53 percent
between 2008 and 2017.
Mobile devices have been transformed into "a multi-faceted
multi-tasking, multimedia device," delivering tools for personal
expression, enterprise computing and entertainment, the firm said.
Mobile devices are now used for video conferencing, storing documents
and media, sending and receiving email messages, online banking and
shopping and other entertainment purposes.
While the productivity benefits are "undeniable," the new capabilities
and features "open up new apertures for risks," according to Global
Industry Analysts. The threat of malicious applications compromising
the mobile device and accessing key information stored within poses
significant risks to the organization and is "a perfect business case
for mobile security."
The biggest gains in mobile security will be in the Asia-Pacific
region, driven primarily by "robust demand" for mobile devices in
emerging countries, such as China and India, according to Global
Industry Analysts.
Mobile networks are also experiencing "exploding data traffic" as a
direct result of the "exponential rise" in the number of
Internet-connected mobile devices, the company said. Customer demand
has also forced mobile-network operators to stop restricting users to
a set of default services provided by the carrier and instead give
them access to all services and content on the World Wide Web. Mobile
operators have to balance the seamless integration of proprietary
networks and the entire Internet with security and privacy concerns
that inevitably would arise, according to the analysts.
"Mobile-network providers will therefore come under increased pressure
to invest in mobile-security appliances and software to protect both
their networks as well as network users," the analysts wrote.
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