Author: Dan Gendro

Businesses that have bring your own device (BYOD) programs must protect themselves against this risk.

The mobile security risk that is created by the use of tablets and smartphones in businesses as a result of the use of third party apps has experienced a “monumental increase” according to the results of a recently published report.

What it showed as that these concerns have been steadily and considerably growing.

This is the case, said the report, even in the activation of enterprise apps that have greater mobile security complexity, particularly in terms of secure browsing. This information was published within the Q1 2014 Mobile Index Report that was issued by Good Technology. It also revealed that organizations are actually trying to take back control over their risks by leveraging enterprise apps that do provide greater protection.

The data for this mobile security report is gleaned from the activation tracking done by Good Technology.

That company has tracked activations over mobile devices and platforms and then leveraged its findings from over 5000 of its customers around the world. Within the report, it was explained that companies have called IT their leading concern for this year. Moreover, there has been a considerable 57 percent growth rate (quarter over quarter) in the activations of secure enterprise apps. This is an increase over 54 percent in the previous quarter and 43 percent in the one before that.

It was also underscored by Good Technology that these are “not surprising” results. The Ponemon Institute published the 2014 State of Endpoint Risk report which also placed the spotlight on risks connected with the use of mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. It identified third party apps as the leading risk faced by business IT departments.

The Good Mobility Index Report indicated that the total number of activations of browsing apps with heightened mobile security throughout the customer base of Good Technology saw an unbelievable 2900 percent increase during this quarter. This brought it to the app category that is fifth most activated. In previous quarters, it hadn’t even made it into the top ten most activated lists.

Federal law may have an unexpected effect on the technology sector

The controversial Affordable Care Act has caused a shift in the insurance and health care landscape of the U.S., but some technology experts suggest that the federal law may have an unexpected effect of pushing people toward embracing wearable technology more readily. The federal law sparked the creation of health insurance exchanges throughout the country and pushed the insurance and health care industries to become more digital, forgoing older methods of record keeping and customer service. The law has spawned the concept of “digital health,” which is gaining more attention on the back of wearable technology’s hype.

Digital health is gaining momentum

The idea of digital health has been examined at several events that have been held in the U.S. over the past few months. During these events, big data is often brought up as a key factor to the continued evolution of health care in the U.S. and much of the rest of the world. Big data analytics is changing the way the health care sector operates, and continued ventures into the digital space are making electronic health records more common and improving the efficiency of various services that are rendered to people in many parts of the country.

Wearable devices are becoming more health-oriented

Wearable devices become more prominent in the concept of digital health as people begin to base their lives more on mobile technology. These devices can be used to keep track of vital health information. Smart watches, for instance, can be used to monitor heart rate, blood pressure, and a wide range of other health-related information. The majority of these products are designed to help people take control of their health, but they are not necessarily designed to help people manage what medical issues they may have.

Demand for health-related devices is on the rise

Wearable technology may have a major role to play in the future of health care, but it is difficult to say for certain what they role may be. Currently, the majority of these devices that are being produced by technology firms have to do with entertainment or social networking. Some developers are focusing exclusively on the health care sector, seeing an increasing demand among consumers for useful, health-related electronic products.