Smartphones have captured the imagination of billions of mobile subscribers globally, slipping seamlessly into the lives of people practically everywhere. They are in so many ways our window on the world and what’s really driving growth is the platform for the (quite literally) millions of applications they allow us access to. Whether chatting to a loved one, ordering food or playing a game (and practically ANYTHING else you can think of), smartphones have truly captured the imagination of the largest country in Latin America – Brazil. Looking around at people the world over, it’s easy to assume that interaction with others via chat apps is always going to be the leading activity smartphone users spend their time with but you’d be wrong. MEF’s Brazil 2021 Smartphone User Survey gets under the skin of all things smartphone where Brazil is concerned and packed full of statistics and great insights, there truly is something for everyone here!
Some key lessons for the industry:
- ASSUME CHANGES IN WORKING PRACTICES WILL BE PERMANENT: Covid-19 has accelerated a trend towards mobile working, not created it. We must assume that working practices will be permanently and significantly altered even when the world returns to ‘normal’ – employers must plan for a reality in which data security is seamlessly managed across fixed locations and remote environments.
- EDUCATE EMPLOYEES ON THE NEW RISKS POSED BY THESE PRACTICES: Employees are more in control of data security than in the past, but not necessarily in the know when it comes to specific risks that organisations face due to remote working. Ongoing education is needed in order to promote willing compliance.
- DIFFERENTIATE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION: The merging of personal and professional communication channels, and the popularity of public messaging apps, creates a risky situation in which company data is vulnerable. A clear delineation between personal and professional communication must be established via education and dedicated, secure company channels, ideally harnessing the ease and convenience of mobile messaging apps.
- SECURE DATA COMMUNICATIONS MORE COMPREHENSIVELY: Many employers still behave reactively when it comes to securing data, an increasingly untenable position in the mobile working era. Employers should consider more comprehensive upstream actions.
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