Survey shows the consumerization of IT leaves administrators challenged with securing mobile data; Data loss, user management and insecure wireless access among top concerns
CALGARY, AB – DECEMBER 8, 2010 – Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP), the worldwide leader in securing the Internet, recently announced the findings of a global survey revealing that IT security administrators are anticipating a significant increase in the number of users connecting to their network in the next year, with 54 per cent citing specific growth in the number of remote users. Check Point’s research shows that as organizations continue to grow in size, IT administrators are increasingly challenged with securing mobile data and complex IT environments – citing data loss, user management, lost or stolen equipment, and employees connecting to untrusted wireless Internet access as top concerns.
“Mobile computing and the consumerization of IT is no longer a trend but a way of life for most businesses, with employees and contractors demanding more access to business applications and data – from both corporate and personally-owned devices,” said Paul Comessotti, Check Point’s Canadian Regional Director. “Many organizations haven’t set up an appropriate plan to secure the use of personal laptops and smartphones in the workplace. These vulnerabilities need to be addressed by a combination of technology and user awareness that enforce better security protections to secure data on-the-go.”
According to a survey of over 220 IT security administrators around the world, 64 per cent of organizations are concerned the growth in remote users will result in exposure to sensitive data. Yet, as the mobile workforce has been steadily growing, 70 per cent of respondents admit they do not use data encryption to secure their business laptops, and 87 per cent of organizations do not encrypt USB or portable media devices. This leaves a majority of businesses potentially vulnerable to unauthorized network access from lost or stolen devices. However, anticipating continued growth of the mobile workforce, 52 per cent of organizations reported they have VPN clients on their portable PCs and intend to deploy disk encryption (23 per cent), encrypted USBs (20 per cent) and DLP (17 per cent) in the coming year. In addition, 54 per cent of businesses are planning to migrate to Microsoft Windows 7 within the next two years. In effect, businesses are looking to unify endpoint security and make sure new systems are updated with the latest protections.
Check Point’s research also reveals organizations are using an average of nine different vendors to secure their organization’s infrastructure from the network to the endpoint, creating difficulties in security management, particularly for businesses with 500+ employees. Companies combining more than a dozen distinct security solutions are left with large infrastructures, often creating security holes in between point products.
Check Point has been a leader in mobile data protection for over ten years, with award-winning and certified endpoint solutions including Full Disk Encryption,Media Encryption and Abra, a unique plug-and-play USB solution that turns any PC into a fully secure, corporate desktop. In 2010, Check Point introduced a new solution to address the security concerns businesses face with the consumerization of IT. The company’s Mobile Access Software Blade, based on the Software Blade Architecture™, integrates SSL VPN and encryption technology to protect against security threats as users remotely connect to the network. As part of the solution, users can download the Check Point Mobile application for secure, one-touch access to corporate email, intranet and business applications from mobile devices, including the iPhone and iPad. For more information about Check Point’s complete range of endpoint and data security solutions, visit:
http://www.checkpoint.com/products/index.html#endpoint.
 
The Check Point survey was conducted in September 2010, surveying over 220 IT security administrators located in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East regions. The survey sample represents a wide range of organizations varying in size – from small and medium businesses to large enterprises – and across various industries, including financial, industrial, government, telecommunications, education and healthcare.
“Mobile data protection has been a key priority for Check Point for many years. We will continue to bring innovative solutions to the industry that not only protect data on-the-go, but also enable mobile workers while simplifying security for IT administrators,” said Comessotti.