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Mobile Devices Increase Productivity, But Pose Serious Security Concerns

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It’s 6 a.m. and your alarm goes off — and the first thing you do is check your email on your smartphone. Over the course of the day, you may have touched four or five devices, and half of them are mobile. While working with a multitude of mobile devices might seem like opportunities to distract yourself, the reality is that mobile devices can actually increase productivity — but at the cost of security.

(Photo Credit: kmore/Flickr)

A recent study from Telework Research found that while 62 percent of federal employees use their mobile devices for work-related tasks in the office, 95 percent use them outside of the office for work tasks. This demonstrates that the availability of mobile devices leads to employees working more and being more productive — even during evenings and weekends. Even better, 95 percent of respondents said their work has improved because of mobile products.

Do You Know What You're Worth?

While mobile devices definitely increase mobile devices, they pose a serious security threat. Telework found that although 55 percent of federal smartphone users employ their personal smartphones for work, 33 percent of them don’t use password protection on either product. Three-quarters of federal employees use their mobile devices to access government data, which means this data could easily be compromised if an employee’s smartphone fell into the wrong hands.

As many other employers off employees to bring their own device to work, this study demonstrates that it’s a good idea — but that employees (and employers) need to be aware of security concerns to protect both the company and their clients.

Tell Us What You Think

Do you think using your mobile device makes you more productive? Share your thoughts with our community on Twitter or in the comments section below.


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