Security advantages of mobile technology

As businesses around the world and across different industries gravitate to more advanced mobile technology, many are having to adjust their data protection and privacy strategies to accommodate the increased use of smartphones and tablet computers. While this may be a headache for IT departments, many are finding that mobile devices can actually improve corporate data security practices.

The greatest security advantage that mobile devices provide is the lack of data actually stored on the hard drive. Most tablets and smartphones feature hard drives that are not designed to handle much on-board storage, relying instead on cloud- or application-based services.

Essentially, this means that even if a device is lost or stolen, an unauthorized user will not have instant access to data. Instead, the user will have to go through the company's network, which is likely to include password protection and other security measures.

The lack of malware targeted at tablets and smartphones is another advantage. This is not to say that users shouldn't equip their mobile devices with antivirus software, but the number of threats facing these types of systems is much lower than that of traditional PCs.

Adjusting to a more mobile workforce is likely to be a challenge for many companies, but as they become more comfortable with the technology, they may find that tablets and other devices can prove more advantageous than originally thought.