From infected apps to tricky work device policies, mobile security is a prevalent issue, but individuals and businesses can take steps to protect their data

The security stakes are rising, as mobile usage grows. Mary Meeker, partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, regularly publishes detailed statistics about internet usage. Earlier this year, she found that mobile usage was outpacing desktop or laptop. American users, Meeker found, used the former for 2.8 hours a day, compared to 2.4 hours for the latter.

Mobile devices are repositories for large amounts of personal and corporate data, and the big mobile companies do their best to protect them. They build protection into their phones, designed to restrict activities such as installing unauthorised software.