Do mobile technologies offer better business performance or a security hole?
Businesses often look to technology to fix a problem, when often all technology can do is amplify problems with existing processes and procedures. If a business has a problem, technology can make it bigger, happen faster and spread further. When businesses are based on sound principles and well run, the effect of technology is generally to enhance, streamline and improve. The two sides of the coin are particularly evident when extending access to internal IT systems outside the business premises. Wireless remote access opens the business up to new opportunities for efficiency and flexibility, but does it also increase the risks to the business, and if so, how can these be mitigated.
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Author/s:
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Rob Bamforth |
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Created:
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15/10/2005
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Filename:
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T-Mobile_-_Resilience.pdf
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- IT plays a vital role to many businesses, and most expect it to be constantly available
Although almost one in five managers believe the importance of IT is often over rated, it has become the mainstay of the efficient running of most businesses. The need for IT services now spans beyond the traditional business hours of the working week, and over two thirds of UK businesses expect the IT applications to be available for 24 hours of every day of the week. This increases pressure on the IT function to have resilient systems, and is an indication of how suppliers, customers and employees need to have access outside office hours and therefore outside the office.
- Security is seen as an IT problem, not a broader business issue
Most companies rate security concerns as important reasons for limiting the number of employees who can work from home, or access IT services while travelling or out of the office. The ideas for wireless remote access often originate in the IT department, and here the knowledge of what attacks may be possible, fuelled by scare stories in the media increases the emphasis on protecting assets, and less on ensuring the continuity of business processes. Wireless remote access has broader business benefits, and these need to be taken into account alongside technical security issues.
- Fears over personal security impact the numbers of employees given mobile or remote access
While the security of data has a major affect on plans to deploying mobile solutions, there are significant concerns over personal security for two thirds of businesses. The risks are unlikely to come from a desire to attack the company, but from the intrinsic value of mobile devices and hardware, and the ease with which they can readily be disposed of if stolen. In addition to managing the disruption caused by theft and potential loss of confidential data or access rights, the business has to replace the missing item, and device costs are also a major concern.
- Homeworking has many benefits, but its increased business resilience is not fully appreciated
Working from home is seen as an important way to increase productivity, reduce staff turnover, and benefit the environment for over two thirds of businesses, but less than half see its effect on business resilience as valuable. The availability, performance and low cost of home broadband networks and widespread use of mobile phones has made working from home a viable and effective way to extend the organization and increase its flexibility.
- Wireless remote access is seen to increase the resilience and flexibility of the business
Despite the security challenges, wireless remote access makes a business more able to adapt to threats and changing conditions. Although a financial return on investment is important, over half of companies recognise the broader value proposition these technologies have on the agility of the organization and that their use can increase competitive advantage.
