COVID-19 has proven itself time and again to be a disruptive force. It has spurred genuine digital transformation across the globe and accelerated the transition towards more mobile working like no other force and period before in modern history. The smartphone is at the centre of this, proving to be a huge enabler, with ‘bring your own device’ being the most prevalent model.
We first surveyed how employees use their smartphones for work at the end of 2019, just before the pandemic arrived on the scene. Now our second iteration of the survey in 2021 has uncovered some staggering results: mobile, whilst already the instrument of choice for many, has now become the accepted reality. Download this report now to see just how much your office truly is ‘mobile first’!
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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