Education is the key to security

Some 44 percent of those surveyed said that they have opened messages or attachments from unknown sources. Part of the problem is that 76 percent of those interviewed said that they have a hard time differentiating such messages from legitimate content. The smaller screen size of handheld devices was cited as a primary contributor to the problem.

Experts said that educating end-users will play the most important role in righting the existing issues of perception over mobile security because the biggest problems are related to process, versus tangible threats, at this point.

"While this study shows mobility provides businesses with new risks, so do other Internet services and new technologies," Ron Teixeira, executive director of NCSA, said in a report summary. "Mobility and the Internet can be used securely and safely if businesses institute a culture of security within their workforce by providing their employees with continuous cyber security awareness and education programs."

Among the tips offered to improve mobile worker behavior by the NCSA -- a nonprofit dedicated to advancing public awareness of security and privacy issues -- are for users to adopt mobile device passwords, use anti-virus programs, download any recommended security patches, and back up all important content on their machines.

The group also advises users to encrypt sensitive data stored on mobiles and for businesses to have a response plan in place for handling wireless security incidents.

On a higher level, organizations should attempt to "marry" education with technological protections for both networks and devices, according to the report.

"What's key is knowing that the issues outlined in this study can be addressed," said Jeff Platon, vice president of security solutions at Cisco. "Technology is important in helping to resolve security issues for wireless mobile users, but education and communication are proactive measures IT can take to help address corporate security and generate greater ROI on their investments."

"IT should be a strategic asset to the business, enabling business process transformation and unlocking the power of collaboration," said Platon. "As more workers become mobile, proactively educating them to practice good security behavior should be a key tenet of any business' approach to IT security, and risk management."