Mobile security refers to efforts to secure data on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Typically, mobile security is something that enterprises work on to control sensitive information that could be jeopardized because of its use on various mobile devices. As the use of mobile devices has proliferated, securing them has increasingly become an important issue in mobile technology.
One of the big reasons that mobile security is such a major concern for businesses relates to the emerging use of mobile devices, including personal employee devices, in corporate systems. A trend called bring your own device (BYOD) is allowing businesses and their employees to profit from device-sharing strategies. The downside is the security gap, which is what mobile security seeks to address.
Some of the biggest issues in mobile security are related to device loss or device theft. In either case, sensitive corporate information could get into the wrong hands. Another big element of mobile security is preventing malware on mobile devices from attacking corporate systems. Yet another significant part of mobile security involves device data leakage, where mobile device screens can display information that could be captured by unauthorized parties.
Some IT professionals also talk about endpoint security, which is a security strategy around a device that functions as an end-user interface or endpoint. This includes mobile devices as well as desktop or laptop computers.
Companies are approaching mobile security in different ways. Some firms are limiting the types of devices that are allowed to access corporate systems, while others are using vendor software to try to close the security gap. Mobile security or endpoint security is essentially a scramble to prevent various kinds of liability connected to how internal processes get routed to and displayed on free-floating portable devices.