Physical device loss or theft remains one of the major drivers for consumers to protect their smartphone with third party security software, Juniper Research claims.
The firm believes device protection is set to become a major issue over the next five years, with preventing access to data if a smartphone is lost or stolen likely to be driven by increasing usage of personal devices in the workplace.
However, the firm’s research also shows that just 5% of smartphones and tablets are protected by security software at present, despite rising numbers of malware attacks on handheld devices.
The firm predicts the situation will turn around over the next five years, leaving one in five devices protected by third-party software. The turnaround will leave more consumer devices covered by security software than enterprise by 2015 – a good thing if Juniper’s forecast that bring your own devices will number 350 million within the next two years is accurate.