REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., May 23, 2017 (GLOBE
NEWSWIRE) -- iPass Inc. (NASDAQ:IPAS), a leading provider
of global mobile connectivity, today announced the iPass
Mobile Security Report 2017, the results of which reveal that 40
percent of organizations believe that C-level executives, including
the CEO, are most at risk of being hacked when working outside of
the office. Cafés and coffee shops were ranked the number one
high-risk venue by 42 percent of respondents, from a list also
including airports (30 percent), hotels (16 percent), exhibition
centers (7 percent) and airplanes (4 percent).
Compiling the responses of 500 organizations from
the U.S., U.K., Germany and France, the annual iPass Mobile
Security Report* provides an overview of how companies are dealing
with the trade-off between security and the need to enable a mobile
workforce. Indeed, the vast majority (93 percent) of respondents
said they were concerned about the security challenges posed by a
growing mobile workforce. Almost half (47 percent) said they were
'very' concerned, up from 36 percent in 2016. Furthermore, more
than two thirds of organizations (68 percent) have chosen to ban
employee use of free public Wi-Fi hotspots to some degree (compared
to 62 percent in 2016), while 33 percent of organizations ban
employee use at all times, up from 22 percent in 2016.
"The grim reality is that C-level executives are
by far at the greatest risk of being hacked outside of the office.
They are not your typical 9-5 office worker. They often work long
hours, are rarely confined to the office, and have unrestricted
access to the most sensitive company data imaginable. They
represent a dangerous combination of being both highly valuable and
highly available, therefore a prime target for any hacker," said
Raghu Konka, vice president of engineering at iPass. "Cafés and
coffee shops are everywhere and offer both convenience and comfort
for mobile workers, who flock to these venues for the free high
speed internet as much as for the the coffee. However, cafés
invariably have lax security standards, meaning that anyone using
these networks will be potentially
vulnerable."
Man-in-the-middle attacks, whereby an attacker can
secretly relay and even alter communications without the mobile
user knowing, were identified by 69 percent of organizations as
being of concern when their employees use public Wi-Fi. However,
more than half of respondents also chose a lack of encryption (63
percent), unpatched operating systems (55 percent), and hotspot
spoofing (58 percent) as chief concerns.
Highlights from the report and regional trends
include:
- The U.S. (98 percent) is most
concerned by the increasing number of mobile security challenges -
compared to France (88 percent), Germany (89 percent) and the U.K.
(92 percent)
- Nearly one in ten U.K. organisations
(8 percent) said that they have no security concerns when employees
use public Wi-Fi hotspots. In contrast, this figure is one percent
in the U.S. and Germany, and two percent in France
- Similarly, U.K. organisations are
the least likely to ban the use of public Wi-Fi. Forty-four percent
said that they have no plans to do so, as opposed to eight percent
in Germany, 10 percent in the U.S. and 15 percent in France
- Worldwide, 75 percent of enterprises
still allow or encourage the use of MiFi devices. In France,
however, 29 percent of businesses have banned them due to security
concerns
"Organizations are more aware of the mobile
security threat than ever, but they still struggle to find the
balance between security and productivity," continued Konka. "While
businesses understand that free public Wi-Fi hotspots can empower
employees to do their job and be more productive, they are also
fearful of the potential security threat. Man-in-the-middle attacks
were identified as the primary threat, but the entire mobile attack
surface is getting larger. Organizations must recognize this fact
and do their best to ensure that their mobile workers are securely
connected."
"Sadly, in response to this growing threat, the
majority of organizations are choosing to ban first and think
later. They ignore the fact that, in an increasingly mobile world,
there are actually far more opportunities than threats. Rather than
give in to security threats and enforce bans that can be
detrimental or even unenforceable, businesses must instead ensure
that their mobile workers have the tools to get online and work
securely at all times."
*The research was carried out by
independent market research company, Vanson Bourne, during March
2017. The sample comprised 500 CIO and IT decision makers from the
US (200), UK (100), Germany (100) and France (100).
About
iPass
iPass (NASDAQ:IPAS) is a leading provider of global mobile
connectivity, offering simple, secure, always-on Wi-Fi access on
any mobile device. Built on a software-as-a-service (SaaS)
platform, the iPass cloud-based service keeps its
customers connected by providing unlimited Wi-Fi connectivity on
unlimited devices. iPass is the world's largest Wi-Fi network, with
more than 60 million hotspots in more than 120 countries, at
airports, hotels, train stations, convention centers, outdoor
venues, inflight, and more. Using patented technology, the iPass
SmartConnect(TM) platform takes the guesswork out of Wi-Fi,
automatically connecting customers to the best hotspot for their
needs. Customers simply download the iPass app to experience
unlimited, everywhere, and invisible Wi-Fi.
iPass® is a registered trademark
of iPass Inc. Wi-Fi® is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi
Alliance.
Media Contacts
U.K.
Kewal Varia
Spark Communications
Tel: 020 7436 0420
Email: ipass@sparkcomms.co.uk
U.S.
Asma Stewart
Chorus Studios
Tel: 650 517 3130
Email: asma@chorusstudios.com
IR Contacts
Kirsten Chapman / Becky Herrick
LHA Investor Relations
415-433-3777
ipass@lhai.com