Mobile technology adoption and use is outpacing consumer confidence, according to Juniper Networks’ first “Trusted Mobility Index.” Surveying 4,037 mobile device users and IT decision-makers, Juniper found that “the vast majority of people are using mobile technology today that they do not necessarily trust.”
People are using more in the way of mobile devices, applications and services than ever, but that doesn’t mean they necessarily trust them, and that puts the whole industry at risk. Just 15% of respondents said they have a “great deal of confidence” in the security of their mobile devices and services. A large, 63% majority just don’t know if they can trust them.
A single real or perceived security vulnerability would prompt 71% of respondents to stop using critical services, such as online banking (78%), according to responses. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they would no longer send private communications, while 54% and 52% said they would stop viewing medical and work-related information, respectively.
“The mobile revolution is unleashing massive opportunities, but our research shows we are at a critical turning point,” commented Nawaf Bitar, senior vice president of Juniper Networks’ Security Business unit. “The speed and scale at which mobile innovations can have a positive impact on society will depend on the industry’s ability to address new security vulnerabilities before they undermine people’s sense of safety. We must act now to protect and preserve trust in mobility.”
Mobile devices, services and applications presents users with a complex and confusing landscape, according to Juniper. Other key findings in the report include:
- Mobile users worldwide own an average of three Internet-connected devices, while nearly one in five people (18 percent) own five or more devices.
- Three-quarters (76 percent) of mobile users access their banking or personal medical information while on the go, while 89 percent of respondents who use their personal devices for business purposes say they access sensitive work information.
- Further, the trend toward a “bring your own device” (BYOD) enterprise is creating new concerns for IT leaders, with nearly half of all respondents using their personal device for work (41 percent) without permission from their company.
Individual consumers as well as corporations are key stakeholders when it comes to trust in mobile technology, services and applications, Juniper notes:
- Mobile users rank network security (69%) and network reliability (45%) as the top two drivers of trust in their mobile devices, followed by device security (43%)
- The majority of mobile device users (63%) hold service providers most responsible for protecting their sensitive data, followed by device manufacturers (38%) and software security providers (34%)
- For advice on mobile security, people look to industry security experts (20%), service providers (14%), software security providers (13%) and device manufacturers (10%)
Meanwhile, the need for better security presents a market opportunity. The market for Cloud-based and Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) managed security services will grow to reach $18 billion by 2016, according to a recent Infonetics Research report.
