Check Point’s third annual mobile security study identifies careless workers as the biggest threat to mobile device security

SAN CARLOS, CA–(Marketwired – October 28, 2014) – Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: : CHKP), the global leader in Internet security, today released its third mobile device security report, which found that 95% of respondents face challenges securing and operating a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), highlighting the need for more robust security solutions for personal devices connected to the corporate network.

For a full copy of the third edition of the report, The Impact of Mobile Devices on Information Securityvisit: http://www.checkpoint.com/capsule/.

Based on a survey of more than 700 IT professionals, the report highlights ongoing concerns about the ease of moving sensitive corporate information outside of managed environments and details potential threats to mobile device security resulting from a lack of employee security awareness or training.

Key findings include:

• The greatest threat lies within your organization – 87 percent of surveyed professionals believe that careless employees are a greater threat to mobile device security. Nearly two-thirds of respondents believe that recent high-profile customer data breaches were likely caused by careless employees.

• Spreading the use of mobile devices in corporate networks – Despite the fact that neglectful employees are the weakest link in business, 91% of IT professionals have seen an increase in the number of personal mobile devices connecting to their networks over the past two years. In 2014, 56% of respondents managed business data on employee-owned devices, up from 37% in 2013.

• Mobile security incidents are expected to increase – 2015 could be a risky year, according to survey respondents. Of the security professionals surveyed this year, 82% expect the number of security incidents to increase in 2015. In addition, nearly all respondents (98%) expressed concerns about the impact of a mobile security incident, with the greatest concern being the potential for information loss and theft.

• The costs of mobile device security incidents continue to rise – The cost of remediating mobile security incidents rose in 2014. Of the CIOs surveyed, 42% said mobile security incidents cost their organizations more than $250,000.

• Android is still seen as the operating system that poses the greatest security risks – Android risk has increased from 49 percent in 2013 to 64 percent this year, as it is the platform with the highest perceived security risk compared to Apple, Windows Mobile and Blackberry.

“It’s clear from our 2014 Mobile Security Study that IT professionals see no end to mobile security threats and are preparing for an increase in incidents in 2015,” said Dorit Dor, vice president of product at Check Point Software Technologies. “Today, we announced the Check Point Pod to help address these challenges with a complete mobile solution that delivers seamless security no matter where your data or device goes.”

The 2014 Mobile Security Report coincides with the launch of Check Point Capsule, a single mobile solution that offers unmatched protection for business data and mobile devices, everywhere. Check Point Capsule provides multi-layered security that protects business data on mobile devices through secure access to work; prevents internal and external data leaks by including security features that travel with the document; and extends corporate security policies to protect devices from threats when they are outside the corporate network. In addition to today’s announcement of Check Point Capsule, the company was recently named a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Mobile Data Protection for the eighth consecutive year.

For more information about Check Point Capsule, please visit: http://www.checkpoint.com/capsule/.

About the report:
Report, The Impact of Mobile Devices on Information Securitysurveyed nearly 800 IT professionals in the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom. This is the third study on the subject, and the report assesses differences in responses to similar questions asked over two years. The study’s goal was to collect data to determine the impact of mobile devices on corporate information security.

The full report can be read at: http://www.checkpoint.com/capsule/.

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About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com), a global leader in Internet security, provides customers with uncompromising protection against all types of threats, reduces security complexity and lowers total cost of ownership. Check Point pioneered the industry with FireWall-1 and its patented health check technology. Today, Check Point continues to develop new innovations based on its Software Blade Architecture, providing customers with flexible and simple solutions that can be fully customized to meet the specific security needs of any organization. Check Point is the only provider that goes beyond technology and defines security as a business process. Check Point 3D Security uniquely combines policy, people and enforcement to better protect information assets and helps organizations implement a security plan aligned with business needs. Customers include tens of thousands of organizations of all sizes, including all Fortune and Global 100 companies. Check Point’s award-winning ZoneAlarm solutions protect millions of consumers from hackers, spyware and identity theft.