The Need for BYOD Mobile Device Security Awareness and Training

In 2013, people will purchase 1.2 billion mobile devices, surpassing PC’s as the most common method for accessing the Internet. The leading two mobile device platforms, Android and iOS, both have security concerns surrounding their operating systems and application markets. The popularity of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), where employees use their own devices for both personal and work situations, potentially brings insecure devices into the organization. While most IT professionals agree mobile devices pose major security risks, there is a major lack of mobile device security awareness and training programs in organizations. This paper reports the results of a survey of 131 college students entering the workforce, which demonstrates a lack of security awareness and the need for mobile device security awareness and training in organizations. This paper also reviews the major security concerns with mobile devices and makes some general security recommendations.