Consumerization is Here: Surveys from Trend Micro Confirm that BYOD is Overtaking the Workplace and That Device Security is Top Concern

Surveys prepared by Independent Consulting Firms show that enterprises are still struggling to address the issue of consumerization

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Trend Micro Incorporated

Aug 08, 2012, 08:00 ET

CUPERTINO, Calif., Aug. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Trend Micro announced today that a survey conducted by Forrester Consulting and commissioned by Trend Micro shows that across the U.S. and Europe, the majority (78 percent) of enterprise IT decision makers say that employees are already using consumer devices to conduct company business. This is further supported by another survey, also commissioned by Trend Micro and conducted by Decisive Analytics, which shows how the "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) phenomenon is not only prevalent in enterprises, but device security is a top concern for these companies.

Information from these two surveys commissioned by Trend Micro, entitled "Key Strategies to Capture and Measure the Value of Consumerization of IT" by Forrester Consulting and "Mobile Consumerization Trends & Perceptions" by Decisive Analytics, can be found below.

Consumerization and Device Security

The most telling result from the Key Strategies to Capture and Measure the Value of Consumerization of IT survey is the fact that 78 percent of enterprises are currently instituting BYOD programs. Breaking out the numbers from these programs, 60 percent of respondents include smartphones in BYOD strategies and 47 percent deploy tablets and laptops. When asked why BYOD has been instituted in a company's workplace, 70 percent of survey respondents cite increasing worker productivity as the key driver of why such a high penetration of BYOD programs exists.

However, the Mobile Consumerization Trends & Perceptions survey shows that nearly all (83 percent) companies that do permit BYOD have policies in place that require employees to install security software as a precaution. Further underlining these security implications, Trend Micro found that 86 percent of IT decision makers from the U.S., U.K. and Germany state that smartphone data security is their number one concern when consumer devices are connected to corporate networks.

Trends in Consumerization

Both surveys point to the fact that consumerization is present in enterprise workplaces. In particular, the Mobile Consumerization Trends & Perceptions survey gives evidence of trends, such as the fact that nearly half (47 percent) of enterprises that allow employee-owned devices to connect to a company's network have experienced a data breach. Of these enterprises, immediate changes to security protocols typically followed such a breach, with data access right restrictions (45 percent) or security software installation (43 percent) being the top ways enterprises dealt with the lapse in security. Few enterprises (12 percent) shut down BYOD altogether following a breach, as they still recognize the benefits of BYOD can be preserved when proper security precautions are put into place.

"Companies that are questioning whether or not to allow workers to bring personal devices into the workplace should just stop asking: it's clear that you can get a competitive edge when you put the right precautions in place," said Cesare Garlati, vice president of mobile security, Trend Micro. "The BYOD phenomenon gives companies that allow it a competitive advantage as it enhances innovation and creativity in the workplace while reducing overall costs for the entire organization. The key to not being overwhelmed by this trend is that all these devices need to be secured by implementing the proper BYOD policies and procedures. By working with a security partner that understands how to properly protect all devices across a network, companies can utilize this trend without being trampled by the deluge of information."

Survey Methodology

Trend Micro conducted these two surveys in the first half of 2012, analyzing the issue of consumerization.

More than 200 IT professionals were surveyed in a survey commissioned by Trend Micro, entitled Key Strategies to Capture and Measure the Value of Consumerization of IT. Each of the participants in this study were interviewed for 45 minutes by the Forrester Consulting Group, and work for enterprises that have formalized BYOD programs and employ at least 500 employees in the U.S., U.K., France and Germany.

More than 400 IT professionals were surveyed jointly by Trend Micro and Decisive Analytics, for a study entitled, Mobile Consumerization Trends & Perceptions. Each of the participants were surveyed by Decisive Analytics and work for enterprises that have formalized BYOD programs and employ at least 500 employees in the U.S., U.K. and Germany.

Supporting materials

To view a copy of the Forrester survey, Key Strategies to Capture and Measure the Value of Consumerization of IT, please view it here.

To see the complete results from the survey conducted by Decisive Analytics, Mobile Consumerization Trends & Perceptions, please view it here.

To join the discussion on cloud computing issues, and to read our consumerization evangelist's latest blog piece on the survey, visit the Consumerization Blog

To learn more about how Trend Micro can help you in your journey to the cloud, visit: www.trendmicro.com/consumerization.

About Trend Micro
Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704;TSE: 4704), the global cloud security leader, creates a world safe for exchanging digital information with its Internet content security and threat management solutions for businesses and consumers. A pioneer in server security with over 20 years' experience, we deliver top-ranked client, server and cloud-based security that fits our customers' and partners' needs, stops new threats faster, and protects data in physical, virtualized and cloud environments. Powered by the industry-leading Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Network™ cloud computing security infrastructure, our products and services stop threats where they emerge – from the Internet. They are supported by 1,000+ threat intelligence experts around the globe.

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