Tablets and Smart Phones Have Out-Shipped Laptops for the First Time Ever

Mobile device use in the workplace is changing the landscape of Computer Forensics and Electronic Discovery like never before. The opportunities for investigators and litigation attorneys are significant, and they are encountering a whole new world of electronic evidence…and new ways to find that “smoking gun” we always hear about.

Consider this…

  • More tablets and smartphones were sold last year than PCs.
  • Research company Gartner predicts that by 2015, at least 60% of information workers will be accessing their content on mobile devices.

As usual, there is a downside, particularly as it relates to company Trade Secrets.toptentrade_t

  • 3x   Mobile users are three times more likely to become victims of Phishing Attacks than desktop users.
  • 35% of U.S. adults have had a mobile device stolen or lost.
  • 64% of those surveyed do not use a screen lock or password to access their device.
  • 69% do not back up their data.

So, welcome to the BYOD world. Opportunities for litigators?  Yes.  Headaches for those tasked with protecting their company’s Intellectual Property?  You bet.  As more and more employees are accessing company networks with their mobile devices, your organization’s most valuable intellectual assets can be compromised with the click of a thumb. And remember, over half of employees surveyed have admitted to sending confidential company information to their personal email accounts.

Yikes!  What can you do?

  • Conduct a Trade Secret inventory of your company’s most valuable information.  Tell your employees what your trade secrets are, and communicate their requirement to safeguard them.
  • Have a strong BYOD policy.  Communicate it well and train on it regularly.
  • Consider mobile device management security software that can monitor and protect the flow of your company’s data.