A dramatic rise in mobile data traffic — to the tune of 197,000 PB — is predicted by 2019, with a heavy majority of that data expected to be carried over Wi-Fi networks, according to a study from Juniper Networks. In addition, the average monthly data usage is predicted to double for the average user within the next four years.

These soaring numbers translate to mobile users consuming and utilizing their devices considerably more than before, and that’s something your enterprise needs to be keenly aware of right now.

Mobile Use in the Office

Since the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) movement took off, mobile devices have slowly ingrained themselves into the daily lives of the global workforce. The benefits of being able to get more work done outside of the office have spurred key increases in collaboration and productivity while also managing to help businesses cut costs.

As mobile data consumption soars, it’s reasonable to expect mobile end users to turn to new ways to be productive, including mobile apps and websites they’ll access through their device browsers. This increase in mobile device usage illustrates precisely why enterprises need to have oversight into the devices within their mobile work environment that have access to sensitive documents and data.

A system needs to be in place that allows for IT to support device use and manage access for end users who are working anytime, anywhere. Otherwise, organizations are putting themselves at risk for incredibly costly mobile attacks and data breaches carried out by cybercriminals.

Mobile Data Breaches and Malicious Malware

$2,000,000,000,000 — that’s the expected cost of data breaches to the global economy by 2019. Data breaches aren’t just incredibly expensive for a company; they also bring with them a significant impact to the reputation of the targeted organization that could have lasting repercussions for conducting business in the future.

Part of the reason for the seemingly high prediction for data breaches in the future is that mobile threats are increasing at an incredible rate, and they are growing more complex with each day. A recent report from Kaspersky Lab discovered that 3.3 times as many new malicious mobile attacks were detected in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the final quarter of 2014.

The mobile malware we’re seeing today is also different from what organizations have dealt with in the past. These new threats are rapidly evolving on the technical side and increasing in sophistication, establishing themselves as cybercriminals’ preferred means to steal or extort records, data and money from enterprises every day.

Whether your organization is just simply unprepared or purposely negligent, the ramifications surrounding an attack and breach are all bad. There is, however, an answer to your mobile security and mobility challenges.

EMM: Rising to the Challenge

With all the essential elements of secure mobility, organizations should be deploying a top-level enterprise mobility management (EMM) solution that is capable of being scaled throughout your business. Combining mobile device management, mobile threat management, mobile app management and much more, EMM can deliver the critical components necessary to drive a successful mobile strategy in your enterprise and ensure devices, documents and data are safe and secure.

As device usage and mobile data consumption continue to rise, and end users discover new ways to be productive and collaborate through them, it’s crucial for your enterprise to have the right solutions in place to ensure your mobile work environment is safe, secure and protected from malicious outside threats. Otherwise, you may not have an organization for much longer.

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