Protecting the inboxes of Blackberries, iPhones and other mobile devices requires new thinking. Spam, viruses and phish getting through to a desktop inbox is troublesome enough, but on a mobile device these threats present a unique set of security concerns and consequences, some of which are only just beginning to surface. Here are the problems and measures IT managers can take to combat them.

Distraction & Diminished Productivity: Spam in a mobile environment presents users with a significant productivity problem. Mobile users' time on-the-go is precious. While you can argue it's acceptable for desktop users to spend time weeding out the spam the corporate e-mail security solution allows through (typically 5%-20% of all email), or tracking down false positives, the argument can't fly for mobile users. Viewing, sorting and deleting messages takes significantly more time and effort on a small mobile device than on a traditional desktop. Screen space, storage and user time is too valuable in a mobile environment to dedicate any amount to spam.

Compounding matters, the traditional tools used to deal with false positives (e.g., access to quarantine) will often not be available or will not be easy enough to use on mobile devices, leading to calls to IT which waste the time of several people. So, while some number of false positives may have been deemed acceptable for desktop users, the same number can cripple the average mobile user and present a significant distraction to the organization.

Difficulty Identifying Threats: Many regard the mobile device as inherently more secure than the traditional desktop PC, but because of its interface and limited functionality, it can hinder a user's ability to identify and avoid security threats. A primary concern for IT managers here will be phishing attacks. Smartphone users that do not have an effective security solution in place and are receiving spam or phish, do not have all the tools desktop users can employ to effectively judge which messages can be trusted.

Fonts, headers, images, text and links that may provide users with clues as to the true source or intent of a message may be skewed in a mobile environment. Users that are accustomed to mobile formatting issues may fall prey to phishing messages that they would not have been susceptible to in a desktop environment.