ISACA today released a white paper detailing how the increasing popularity of mobile devices poses a significant threat of leaking confidential enterprise information and intellectual property.

In a complimentary new white paper titled “Securing Mobile Devices,” ISACA, a leading global association for enterprise governance of information technology (IT), noted that the use of wireless networks, typically less secure than wired networks, leaves information at greater risk for interception. From smartphones to USB sticks, many devices also store data that are unencrypted, which can result in sensitive information being compromised through interception and device theft or loss. Mobile devices can also be the targets of malware attacks as employees carry them beyond the protection of their company’s network.

The white paper notes that a lack of enterprise control of physical devices, along with the growing practice of employees using personal devices for business, has increased mobile device risk levels.

For a detailed discussion about risks and recommended strategies, download a free copy of the Securing Mobile Devices white paper at www.isaca.org/mobiledevices.

*SOURCE: ISACA Shopping on the Job: Online Holiday Shopping and Workplace Internet Safety, 2009