Cybersecurity Framework a Top Priority for CTIA, But Changes Needed, Largent Says

"We have to be able to talk to each other about the problems we're facing and how we're handling them and we need to be able to talk about those issues with the appropriate government experts,” Largent said. “Information sharing is an absolute must.” The framework as now written also does not address liability protection, he said.

Largent, a former Republican member of the House from Oklahoma, urged Congress to pass legislation that addresses information sharing and liability protection. “We all know how tough it is to get anything done in Congress these days, to say the least, but I believe that in today’s digital environment cybersecurity is absolutely essential,” he said. “The longer it takes to get our collective act together, the greater the risks we face.”

The wireless industry has been very focused on the issue, Largent said. “We're constantly tracking cyberthreats and that … is paying off,” he said. The U.S. has one of the lowest device malware infection rates compared to other nations at less than 2 percent, he said. “Many countries are in double digits. Some are more than 40 percent.”

Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead, chairman of CTIA, said wireless technology has become “an indispensable part of our lives,” with more than 326 million mobile devices in the hands of Americans. U.S. consumers check their phones 150 times a day, on average, he said. Mead said 34 percent of U.S. adults now have tablets, double last year’s number. “There are no signs that the momentum is slowing,” he said.

Verizon Wireless continues to add capacity to its LTE network to stay ahead of the growing demand for data, Mead said. “There is no doubt that the technology available to us today enables innovation that’s rippling through our business and personal lives and changing them for the better,” he said. “We are making tremendous progress in a number of key areas -- video streaming and consumption, mobile commerce, telematics, energy management and healthcare monitoring, to name just a few.”

During his keynote speech, Mead brought on stage executives from mobile payment company Isis, a joint venture of Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, American Express and Jamba Juice, to discuss mobile commerce.

The mobile phone “has taken over your music, your camera, your address book, your calendar, but for some reason or another it has not taken over your wallet at this point in time,” said Mike Abbott, CEO of Isis. “It is a tremendous opportunity to make this happen” but “you've got to make it tremendously simple,” he said. “The competition I believe right now is plastic and we've got to find something that makes plastic obsolete. We've got it make it so simple and easy for the consumer on the mobile phone that they … say I never want to go back to plastic."

American Express had to adjust to a mobile world, said Dan Schulman, group president-enterprise growth. “The same forces that have redefined so many industries were coming into financial services as well,” he said. “Anywhere that the Internet touches down it fundamentally redefines business models. It’s almost like a digital tornado. It sucks up the existing business. It spits it out. New competitors come on. Different business models emerge."

All companies should embrace the development of enterprise mobile applications, both for internal use and for interaction with customers, said Juniper Networks Chief Information Officer Bask Iyer on Thursday. It’s “only natural” to expect enterprise-grade mobile apps would be part of the rapidly expanding mobile app market, but there has been limited development thus far, Iyer said. He encouraged companies to start developing internal apps for employee use, saying they can streamline internal workflows and increase employee productivity. Juniper Networks has embraced the use of internal mobile apps in a way that makes employees more productive without compromising the company’s security, Iyer said. Juniper’s IT department started by developing simple apps like an employee directory, then expanded into more complex items like an app that consolidates approval processes for job offers, sick leave, vacation requests and other human resources matters, he said. Giving IT the freedom to experiment and develop creative solutions can also lead to new ideas for engaging with customers, Iyer said. Juniper has redesigned its website to be more mobile friendly, and has released apps that directly connect customers with sales staff and help individuals get certified for Juniper technology, he said.

Good Technology CEO Christy Wyatt said mobile data protection will become increasingly important as mobile data plays an increasing role in enterprise IT. Although it is tough to “really put a dollar amount” on the value of a company’s data, it’s clear that data breaches and thefts can have “a profound effect” on a company’s bottom line, Wyatt said. Data is the “weapon of choice” to attack a business, she said, and the average data breach costs a company more than $5 million. Companies need to internalize the risk posed by mobile access to company data -- something Good Technology can help companies control through its enterprise mobility management products, which can help a company secure its data while also allowing employees to do work under Bring Your Own Device programs, Wyatt said.

Unified IT management policies are necessary given the trend toward mobile access through BYOD policies, said Ram Varadarajan, CA Technologies general manager-new business innovation. CA Technologies has adapted to the paradigm shift toward BYOD, offering mobile device management software that allows IT to manage BYOD enrollment, decommissioning and configuration, along with monitoring usage, Varadarajan said. ,