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A new study from ABI Research (News - Alert) has shown that SMBs have failed to protect themselves against mobile voice call interception.

 

The survey, conducted on behalf of Cellcrypt, is based on interviews with 250 U.S.-based senior executives.

 

Almost 75 percent of the surveyed pool said that they have a security policy covering cell phone calling. The survey reported 80 percent of IT professionals believe that cell phones at least as vulnerable to interception as e-mail. It was also revealed that 79 percent of organizations discuss sensitive or confidential information over mobile networks at least weekly and 51 percent do that daily. Only 18 percent have mobile voice call security solutions in place.

 

“Effective e-mail security has become routine but our research shows most businesses do not apply anything like the same level of robust security to cell phone calls. Companies that do not respond are exposing themselves to attack,” said Stan Schatt, vice president and practice director, healthcare and security, ABI Research.

 

Another starling revelation was that 55 percent of respondents in IT roles were under the impression that their organization had implemented mobile voice call encryption solutions but in reality only 18 percent had actually done so.

 

“Equally concerning is that a significant number of people who identified themselves as being responsible for cell phone voice call security incorrectly believe the organizations’ mobile calls have been protected when they have not,” Schatt said. “This perception that they are protected when in reality they are not suggests a serious hole in the information security of many businesses. It is important that companies take urgent steps to review their measures for countering this growing corporate risk area.”

 

“In light of this summer’s news that a GSM cracking codebook will be made widely and freely available very soon -- possibly before the new year -- and sub-$1,000 interception equipment being available soon after, this lack of security is particularly worrying,” said Simon Bransfield-Garth, CEO of Cellcrypt (News - Alert).