Associated Risks: 1. Stored Data on the Device: Smart-phones and tablets are attractive targets for criminals, not only because there is a ready market for stolen devices but also because the data held in these devices is very valuable. The increased storage capacity magnifies the risk. Tablets store up to 128Gb of data while most smart-phones store just about 64Gb. So there is an obvious threat to voluminous data stored on your mobile device which can have direct and strong impact on your mobile security. 2. Remotely held data: Smart-phones are bridgeheads to corporate systems and cloud applications. Whenever a smart-phone or tablet is in wrong hands it can open the door to critical back-office systems. 3. Data in transit: Data which flows wirelessly via not-really-fool-proof secure communications channels such as Wi-Fi hotspots are vulnerable to unethical interceptions. Most applications using wireless transmission do not encrypt the data they transmit or the data they receive over the network which makes them susceptible to unexpected hijacks. This can be explained like this: if an application is transmitting data over an unencrypted Wi-Fi network using http, the data can be easily intercepted. There are also potential dangers around the short-range wireless capabilities of mobile devices, which include channels such as Bluetooth, NFC and RFID. 4. Theft of mobile devices: One of the primary risks of mobile data threat is the worldwide growing problem of the theft of mobile devices. According to 2012/13 Crime Surveys for England and Wales, there have been about 7,42,000 victims of mobile phone thefts. In UK alone, almost 100,000 mobile phones were reported stolen to the MPS during 2013. 5. Accidental loss of mobile devices: Forgetting the smart-phone or tablet on trains or flights or in a restaurant usually means you are not likely to see it ever again. A recent research project revealed that 96 per cent of lost smart-phones were accessed by the person who found the device and 83% of them accessed business-related apps trying to retrieve sensitive information. Even if the device is returned, you cannot be sure what all information has been compromised. 6. Discarded/disposed/sold device: This seems less obvious but actually we should know that there are hacks to retrieve the deleted data from devices. Reports shows that the average phone is used for just 18 months by its owner. When a phone is no longer needed by its owner, it is sent off for recycling, sold off or handed over to family or friends. 7. Threat to Malicious software: Consumers must be aware that malicious viruses, worms and Trojans, which are collectively known as malware, can infect their phones in many ways including corrupt multimedia messages, harmful applications or web downloads. More information : http://www.algoworks.com/blog/risks-with-data-on-mobile-devices