Researchers from technology security company McAfee have found that while an increasing number of consumers use mobile devices for both business and personal activities, most of them are unfamiliar with their employer's corporate policy on the use of mobile devices.

The report by McAfee, "Mobility and Security: Dazzling Opportunities, Profound Challenges", is focused on the consumerization of IT and its impact on security. It approaches mobility from two perspectives -- that of the company's senior IT professional and that of the general end users of mobile devices in the workplace.

McAfee conducted the study in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University.

In the survey, almost half of organizations are very reliant on mobile devices with almost seven in 10 organizations saying that they are more reliant on mobile devices than they were 12 months ago.

The study also found that businesses now operate in a heterogeneous mobile environment and that 63% of devices on the network are also used for personal activities.

The greatest security concern for IT professionals and end-users are regarding lost and stolen mobile devices. Risky behaviors and weak security postures are commonplace, said the report.

The report also said that there is a serious disconnect between the policy and reality with 95% of organizations have policies in place in regard to mobile devices, however, only one in three employees are very aware of their company's mobile security policies.