There is no question that enterprises everywhere are dealing with the "other side" of mobile communication devices: Tablets, phones and other mobile devices have provided a level of communication flexibility that once -- and this has been in the past decade -- the stuff of dreams.

Or maybe enterprise IT nightmares.

Because every mobile invention -- whether a new piece of hardware, a new app or a different operating system -- brings with it an inherently dangerous landscape in which cyber attackers are eager to set up shop and figure out just how much damage they can inflict.

Indeed, the other side of the amazing mobility and flexibility of smartphones, tablets and other wireless devices is the high risk of losing such a device or of carrying around corporate information that isn't protected from cyber attackers. It's a scary world for IT, indeed, when the damages from the loss of a piece of hardware pales in comparison to the potential abuse of confidential data stored on the devices.

These findings and more are in the latest issue of Heavy Reading Mobile Networks Insider report, "Security Vendors Tackle the Enterprise BYOD Challenge." This report examines the market for customer service in mobile security solutions, analyzing how and where such solutions are being used, as well as areas of growth expected in the market over the next two years. It discusses drivers and challenges in the industry and includes a comparative analysis of solutions available. Finally, it examines the geographic landscape of the market and details trends that are likely to occur in the industry over the next 18-24 months.

As IT continues to grapple with how to best manage corporate and private devices that want access to corporate data, it's imperative for mobile security vendors to provide a level of customer service that is higher than ever before. IT is aware that it's probably impossible to simply tell employees that they can't put corporate information on their own phones or tablets; it's already been done, and when given the option between using the device that they love (i.e., their own device) or the one they tolerate (i.e., the corporate-owned device), there's no question which device will win.

So now that IT knows it needs mobile security, mobile security vendors must step up and educate the market in as simple a way as possible. Vendors need to work together to develop solutions that address hardware and software challenges, and there must be a concerted effort to make the challenge of mobile IT in the enterprise as simple and effective as possible the first time around.

— Denise Culver, Research Analyst, Heavy Reading Mobile Networks Insider

Security Vendors Tackle the Enterprise BYOD Challenge, a 17-page report in PDF format, is available as part of an annual subscription (six issues) to Heavy Reading Mobile Networks Insider, priced at $1,499. Individual reports are available for $595. To subscribe, please visit: www.heavyreading.com/mobile-networks.