A familiar progression of rapid technological advancement coupled with multiplying security threats is being seen in the smartphone field, CSO writer Nigel Phair said recently.

"Back in the 1990s, home internet users were saved from having their machines compromised and utilized as part of a botnet, due to on/off dial-up connectivity and ridiculously slow system memory. Our phones were also safe because no one had built web-browsing capabilities in them yet," he wrote.

However, with the advent of always-on internet connectivity and significantly faster computers, the security threat posed by PCs increased rapidly, Phair asserted. The same thing is true of smartphones, as their adoption rate has skyrocketed in recent months and more of the devices are used in both business and personal settings.

That said, according to the CSO writer, the pattern does provide a blueprint for wireless and mobile security, giving companies the opportunity to follow the example of desktop and laptop makers in securing their devices.

The industry is beginning to take notice. Computer Weekly recently hosted a roundtable at which social, mobile and regulatory issues around business connectivity were discussed.