More and more people are getting smartphones and tablets everyday.  With mobile devices rapidly becoming the gadgets of choice for a lot of people, it also becomes a popular target for hackers, viruses and malware.  And for this reason, the mobile security market is expected to be worth $14.4 billion by 2017 as demand for new security tools increases.

Employees are now using personal mobile devices for work-related calls, e-mails, and accessing corporate data, thus, increasing the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access.

The tremendous popularity of mobile devices and their subsequent appearance in the workplace means organizations have to worry about data-stealing malware as well as the danger of lost and stolen devices.

With mobile devices like smartphones and tablets becoming a commonly used tools for both business and personal use, security companies will have huge opportunities in this emerging market.

McAfee, Symantec, Zenprise, and MobileIron are some of the companies that offer security solutions such as automatic firmware updates, diagnostics, data backup and restoration, scanning of security threats, remote locking and wiping of data in the event a device is lost or stolen.

Security in the workplace

Doug Dennerline, president of SuccessFactors, an HR and business execution software company, shares some tips on preventing a potential hacking or security threats:

• Know your risks: HR, executive and employee devices house sensitive personal and company information. What would it mean if your company was hacked?
• Be aware: The most common breaches occur through human error or social engineering. What is your company doing in these areas to protect this info?
• Train your employees on security best practices: Companies continue to add tech and IT improvements to their infrastructure but fail to teach their employees how to be more vigilant in security.

Security expert John Casaretto also shares his latest article, Security in Mobility – a primer, in which he explains the reevaluation of a company’s entire security strategy.

The security of mobile devices in the enterprise can be an overwhelming and difficult-to-manage prospect. Striking a balance between functionality and security is critical to a successful strategy. Recognizing the risks that these devices pose and then mitigating them is an important first step to security overall.

After the summer of hacks and the latest breach at Wikileaks’ site, mobile device and enterprise security is more important than ever.  There’s a balance to be met when it comes to network security and the rising consumer influence at the workplace.  Data is living in a new era, and the cloud is provisioning new access points from the CEO all the way down the line.