September 09, 2015
Millennials, the so-called “Digital Natives,” are the first generation to grow up with technology and, in 10 years, will account for 75% of the workforce. Millennials are already shifting the workplace, with smartphones glued to their sides and demands to work whenever and wherever they want. According to a new report in the UK, smartphones are now the preferred device for going online, overtaking laptops for the first time.
The new report from Ofcom shows that 33% of internet users see their smartphone as the most important device for going online. This is a rapid shift from the previous year when only 22% turned to their smartphone first. On average, 2 hours per day are spent using a mobile phone, versus just over an hour for laptops for personal use.
With a rise in smartphone ownership, and the increased flexibility in what can be accomplished from a smartphone device for both personal and corporate use, this continued shift to a mobile-first society will have a strong impact on IT. While there are obvious benefits from the use of mobile technology, our own research shows that Millennials are currently the greatest risk to corporate data of any other segment, mostly because they engage in actions without thinking of their impact on data security.
According to our 2015 US Mobile Device Security Report, Millennials are most likely to modify default settings, use a work device for personal use, or access “not safe for work” content ranging from online banking and shopping to public WiFi and file sharing. Numerous other studies have backed up this data, showing how employees are quick to install apps or use cloud storage services, all without IT’s knowledge.
In our whitepaper The Enemy Within - Insiders are still the weakest link in your data security chain, we discuss the importance of education, policy and technology to support the mobile revolution and the increased risks that “people”, particularly the Millennial generation, pose to data security. Absolute can help your organization plug the security holes created by mobility and human error. Our unique Persistence technology offers an important layer to any data security strategy and helps mitigate the risk of human error, rogue employees, and cybercrime. Learn more at Absolute.com
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