In a well-publicized case, a data analyst employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) took his laptop home to suburban Maryland. Burglars entered his home and stole the laptop. Suddenly, the personal information of some 26.5 million veterans was at risk. The incident became an international news story raising caution flags about managed security at the VA.

Incidents like this one are not unusual today, and the risk is increasing as the mobile workforce grows. Gartner reports that 83.9 percent of businesses have a remote workforce, and by 2011 an estimated 46 million employees globally will telecommute at least one day per week and 112 million will work from home at least one day per month.