Report: Businesses Plan to Increase Spending on Wireless Security

An international study by online market research firm InsightExpress revealed many businesses plan to increase spending on security for their wireless networks in the next year.

Almost three out of every four IT decision makers said security spending will increase over the next fiscal year in an effort to accommodate growing wireless and mobility requirements, with 46 percent expecting investments to increase by more than 10 percent. About one in 10 of those surveyed expect spending to jump 20 percent or more.

The research builds on findings released earlier this month from the research firm that found 73 percent of mobile users admitted they are not always cognizant of security threats and best practices. In addition, more than 25 percent admitted that they either hardly ever or never consider security risks and proper behavior.

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The latest report was commissioned by Cisco Systems and included responses from 700 mobile workers in seven countries, including China, Germany, India and the United States.

Click here to read about a report showing that mobile device users are lax about security.

The research found respondents were driven by a desire to meet compliance regulations and better deal with the increased risks of a mobile workforce. Nine percent of the respondents counted replacing lost or stolen devices such as laptops, smart phones and PDAs as a reason spending is increasing—a figure that jumped to 26 percent in the United States.

"The study actually reaffirms Ciscos security strategy and its Self-Defending Network vision," said Fred Kost, director of security solutions at Cisco. "From a broader mobility perspective, security technologies can definitely be used to compensate for many of the user behaviors identified in the study."

The market has placed a lot of emphasis and attention on the PC connecting to the wireless LAN, Kost continued.

"Going forward secure mobility solutions will need to comprehend the increasing number of mobile devices and applications beyond the traditional PC that are connecting to the IP network," he said.

"Mobile security will offer protection for these devices and the ways in which users connect to the network while they are away from the traditional work place, and in many cases the primary workplace may be a mobile connection."

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