Last year, laptop theft cost U.S. organizations over US$4.1 million, according to the 2005 Computer Crime and Security Survey, a joint study by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Computer Security Institute.

Despite these compelling statistics, many Canadian organizations don’t seem to view mobile and wireless devices as a real threat to enterprise security. This is what IDC Canada found in its recent survey of medium and large-sized organizations in Canada, where 54.4 per cent of mid-sized firms and 35.4 per cent of large organizations tagged mobile and wireless tools as “no real threat” to corporate security.

[...] According to IDC’s Enterprise Security Survey: Threats and Issues, over 35 per cent of large organizations believe wireless and mobile devices pose “no real threat” to IT security, while only 27.3 per cent view these devices as a significant threat.

The discrepancy is even greater among medium-sized firms, where more than 54 per cent said these devices are not a real threat and only 14.7 per cent said they pose security risks.

Mitigating solutions (PAPPP):

• Review security policies - policy and audit
• User awareness strategies - people
• Centralize management - product and process