New research commissioned by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) reveals that altough spyware, viruses and worms continue to plague most organizations, security challenges tied to the use of handheld devices and mobile and remote computing are growing at a rapid pace.

The top two information security threats organizations face today continue to be viruses and worms, cited by 54 percent of respondents, and spyware, selected by 51 percent, as the survey made by CompTIA on more than 2,000 individuals found.

But security issues related to handheld devices, and to mobile and remote workers, are clearly emerging concerns. Compared to one year ago, in each of the four countries where surveys were conducted – the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, and China – more than 50 percent of respondents said security threats related to use of handheld devices has increased significantly.

Altough relatively few have implemented security awareness training tailored specifically for the mobile and remote workforce, nearly three-quarters of respondents surveyed (71 percent) said their organizations allow mobile and remote employees to access data and networks. While 19 percent said they intend to do so in 2008, just 39 percent of jrespondents said their organizations have implemented security awareness training and education.

92 percent of respondents among organizations that have implemented such training for remote and mobile employees, believe that the number of major security breaches has been reduced.