Despite more than three quarters (77 percent) of IT managers saying their company has a security policy in place for the use of tablets and smartphones, IT professionals are still downloading unauthorised applications onto their devices, according to new research by Kaspersky Lab. 

The results suggests that while most companies are aware of the need for mobile device security and a robust code of practice for employees, a failure to effectively implement and manage such policies may be exposing the corporate network to viral attack and cybercrime.

“The growing trend towards using a single mobile device for both business and personal use can represent a significant security headache for companies, particularly when people start downloading potentially infected or insecure applications onto ‘authorised’ and network connected devices,” said Andrew Lintell, corporate sales director for UK and Ireland, Kaspersky Lab. “What UK businesses need is a better way of managing all devices”. 

The YouGov research conducted on behalf of Kaspersky Lab, interviewed more than 150 IT leaders across Britain, representing firms with 250 or more employees, found that one in four IT managers and directors (25 percent) have downloaded an application onto a mobile device provided for them by their organization.