Feds Benefit From Wireless Internet Access, Says Study

Telework Exchange, a public-private partnership focused on telework in government, today announced the results of the "Federal Mobility 2.0" study. The study examines federal teleworkers, non-teleworkers, and federal IT executives' attitudes toward wireless Internet and the state of wireless Internet security.

The study, underwritten by Sprint, reveals that more than half of all federal employees, including teleworkers, are using wireless Internet for work purposes and report significant productivity and continuity of operations (COOP) benefits. Further, the majority -- 83 percent -- of federal IT executives find that wireless Internet can be used securely.
Key study findings include:

• While half of all federal employees are using wireless Internet for work purposes and report significant benefits, 40 percent of federal IT executives report their organizations do not allow wireless Internet use and are not realizing the benefits.
• While 83 percent of federal IT executives say wireless Internet can be secure, only 68 percent note their agencies are providing wireless security tools.
• Forty-eight percent of non-teleworkers are unsure if their agencies allow wireless Internet use.
• Federal IT executives name "not encrypting laptops" as the top security risk while working outside of the office. Twenty-four percent of Department of Defense (DoD) IT executives say their agency is not in compliance with the DoD mandate 8100.2, which requires encryption of unclassified data, or they are unsure if their agency is in compliance.
• Federal employees are adopting wireless Internet and taking steps to ensure security, however more work is needed. Federal agencies need to work further to establish and communicate policies to their user communities. In addition, agencies should encrypt data on laptops as well as data transmitted via the Internet.

"Wireless Internet can be a tremendous recruitment and retention tool," said Cindy Auten, general manager, Telework Exchange. "The majority of federal employees find wireless Internet boosts their productivity -- so much so that they are willing to pay for the service themselves. The technology presents a great opportunity for employers to support their workers by creating an atmosphere that will keep them engaged and on the job for years to come."

The "Federal Mobility 2.0" study is based on a survey of 150 federal IT professionals and 160 federal employees/teleworkers. To download the full study results, please visit

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About Telework Exchange, LLC
Telework Exchange is a public-private partnership focused on demonstrating the tangible value of telework and serving the emerging educational and communication requirements of the federal teleworker community. The organization facilitates communication among federal teleworkers, telework managers, and IT professionals. For more information on Telework Exchange, please visitwww.teleworkexchange.com.