Eighty per cent of executives in the GCC use their personal mobile devices for work purposes but only 10 per cent adopt appropriate security measures to protect the corporate data stored there, a report said.

The recent market survey, conducted by Gulf Business Machines (GBM), a leading provider of IT solutions and services, has shown that security breaches in the GCC are on the rise, with one in five participants being aware of a privacy violation in the past 12 months.

Increasing threats of cyber-attacks, coupled with the rise of cloud adoption, mobility and social media, led companies to implement more flexible technologies in the workplace, whilst not necessarily investing enough to mitigate against potential risks associated, according to the annual GBM Security Study.

“Security has become a boardroom discussion within an organization and in our fourth edition of GBM Annual Security Study, we are focusing on the regional executives’ awareness and readiness to address the security challenges” said Hani Nofal, vice president, Intelligent Network Solutions, GBM.

“The survey showed that around a third of respondents are still unaware of the laws and regulations related to cyber security in their country. More awareness needs to be raised and measures put in place,” he added.

As services are continually being brought online and the region’s growing focus on smart services, GBM’s survey has shown that cyber security continues to cause concern for organisations and individuals.

The survey also showed that 86 per cent of participants are concerned with data and identity theft that could result from having to provide personal data while making online transactions. Yet, three out of five participants blindly accept online terms and conditions which in turn might lead to privacy breaches.

“The future is digital,” concluded Nofal. “And we must ensure that the correct security measures are in place in order for organisations, and the general public to feel safe in the technologies that can provide added value to their working and personal lives.”

Key findings

•    75 per cent of respondents use their personal mobile for work. 80 per cent of executives use their personal mobile for work and personal use.

•    40 per cent of respondents accept terms and conditions without reading them before downloading and installing apps on their mobile devices. While 60 per cent of executives do the same.

•    80 per cent of respondents are not aware of the cyber protection laws in their country, while only 70 per cent of executives are not aware of the same.

•    50 per cent of respondents use only one type of security measures to access data on their mobile devices, generally a password or PIN. However, less than 10 per cent of executives use appropriate security measures.

•    14 per cent of respondents use no form of security method on their mobile, for example, a PIN, password or fingerprint recognition.

•    86 per cent of executives have major concerns about data and identify theft while making transactions.  – TradeArabia News Service