RIYADH — A report published by Aruba Networks, an HP company, has pinpointed the most at-risk nations based on a survey of the mobile security habits of 11,500 workers in 23 countries. It finds that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and established Western markets display by far the world's safest employee behaviors when it comes to using mobile devices at work, and conversely, emerging Eastern regions rank the lowest for mobile security practices. Saudi Arabia among the Best: Just under a quarter of Saudi workers (23%) admit to having lost personal or company data through the misuse of a mobile. This is comparable to the US (24%) and much better than the UAE (48%). Risk-adversity in UK: In the UK, only one in ten (12%) do not password protect their work smartphone. In Malaysia, that figure is nearly three in ten (29%). Higher device sharing in China: The Chinese will give their work mobile device away on average 19 times per month, whereas the Swedes just seven. Overall the report establishes a clear East/West divide with regard to mobile security. Saudi Arabia, Sweden, the USA, Canada, the UK and Norway are found to have the safest employee habits while Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, China and the UAE came bottom of the list. The findings, included in Aruba Networks' Running The Risk report, names the ‘#GenMobile' demographic as a major driver for more pro-risk behaviors, with the younger, mobile-savvy workers often prioritizing productivity over traditional security concerns. Ahmad Enaya, regional technical manager, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Levant at Aruba Networks, said: “It is good to see that Saudi Arabia ranks among the least ‘at risk' countries for mobile security. It appears that emerging markets are seeing more self-empowered workers who are embracing new technologies and new ways of driving growth, but are also introducing added risks into the business. The results suggest that while risk can be bad, it can also be good for business — something that more conservative Westernized markets should take note of. “If the workforce thinks nothing of sharing passwords or devices in order to get things done, this presents an interesting productivity vs. security challenge for IT managers the world over. “Striking the balance will be all important to ensuring companies are attracting and retaining the best talent, without exposing sensitive data in the process.” Aruba Network's ‘Running The Risk' report highlights the potential pitfalls businesses should expect given their employees' computer security habits. Aruba's online self-assessment tool help companies assess their risk levels and compare it against other countries' industries in the study. An ‘At-Risk' attitude has been defined in this study by those who are most likely to express a distrust towards their IT teams, admit to disobeying bosses in order to complete tasks, have lost company data due to the misuse of a mobile, use the fewest amount of passwords to protect devices, are most likely to use jail-broken devices and are most likely to agree with the statement ‘The adoption of mobile apps in my organization will give us a competitive edge'. Aruba Networks, an HP company, is a leading provider of next-generation network access solutions for the mobile enterprise. The company designs and delivers Mobility-Defined Networks that empower IT departments and #GenMobile, a new generation of tech-savvy users who rely on their mobile devices for every aspect of work and personal communication. — SG
