Mobile Device Security Issues within the U.s. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program

This paper reports on the results of a mobile device security awareness and practice survey of one special type of small business referred to as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) within the U.S. Department of Transportation. As government contractors, DBEs have access to government information systems. With recent cyber-attacks on large corporations through their less secure subsidiaries, it is essential that DBEs take security precautions and do not become an illegitimate point of entry to government systems. This paper discusses the roles, responsibilities, and IT security weaknesses within the U.S. DOT and surveys 1088 DBEs about their mobile device security and mobile device business usage. Results demonstrate that the majority of DBEs failed to adequately address even the most basic mobile device security practices, potentially exposing government systems, which are already poorly secured. This paper provides a list of basic mobile device security recommendations for immediate DBE adoption.