That Android devices are much more susceptible to malware attacks than Apple iOS devices is not breaking news. This has been a trend for quite some time.
There have been many reasons proposed for this: Android’s "openness", the general less tech-savvy-ness of many Android owners or just the large target on Android’s back because of it’s leading global market share position.
But the real reasons are not important in the grand scheme of things. But companies must be at least cognizant of this fact when deciding whose mobile technology to deploy.
For years, security was what made Blackberry the darling of IT departments everywhere.
Security, and the desire to penetrate corporate accounts, is also what is driving Samsung’s Knox platform, though I do not like the schizoid manner in which the company has implemented it.
So I wasn’t surprised when I saw that Apple holds 58% share of enterprise mobile deployments. What surprised me was the breakdown of mobile device adoption by industry compiled by Citrix.
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Citrix’s Enterprise Mobility Cloud Report Q4 2012 questions whether companies should be issuing malware-friendly devices to employees.
What jumped out at me was that Transportation was one of the few industries where Android had the majority share.
While it’s not possible to tell exactly how Citrix defines "Transportation", it at least should make airlines, hotels and other travel companies re-think the strategies they have taken.
American Airlines is one of the most aggressive companies in the use of tablets for its workforce, issuing about 10,000 iPads for pilots and about 17,000 Samsung Galaxy Notes for its flight attendants and 6,000 Galaxy Notes as in-flight entertainment devices as well as those used by maintenance crew.
In an interview with CITEworld, Lisa Canada, American’s managing director of operations technology, note that Samsung’s SAFE - Samsung for Enterprise - platform (which incorporates Knox) was a key reason in their decision:
"SAFE was one of several factors that influenced our selection of the device. The product provides increased administrative features and integration with MDM providers that can be used in our development and management of the device."
These types of mobile devices are likely to be used increasingly in the travel industry as companies look for innovative ways to serve customers quickly and efficiently.
So be innovative in how you integrate mobile into your company strategy, but do your homework in understanding the security risks and the various ways to mitigate and manage them.
But it's worth noting that Samsung's approach only works on Samsung devices and if you are going for a broader approach to mobile, then you need to explore other ways of securing your devices.
Apple devices, while targeted about 100x less frequently than Android devices, are not immune.
And while Apple doesn’t provide their own platform for secure collaboration and device management, there are excellent solutions out there from the likes of Good Technology and AirWatch.
NB:Mobile security image via Shutterstock.