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1888PressRelease – Mobile devices are a prime target for cyber crime. As more phones and tablets perform like traditional computers, their vulnerability to attack increases as well.

 

Last month, President Obama called cyber attacks among the greatest threats to U.S. national security. Not surprisingly, mobile devices are a prime target. That’s because in many organizations, employees utilize phones or tablets to check email, connect to the network, or access websites. Each time they do, they’re placing their company’s data at risk. 

 

Mobility Risks

As more phones and tablets perform like traditional computers, their vulnerability to attack increases as well. Risks to mobile devices include:

 

• Laced Apps. Hackers can reprogram an app, lace it with malware, then send a message to users directing them to click on an external link. When they do, the app downloads malware onto the user’s device to gain access to data. 

• Eavesdropping. Once a mobile device is infected with malware, hackers can gain access to critical features such as the video camera or microphone, which in turn, can potentially expose a company’s private conversations to eavesdropping. 

• External Lapses. When used by workers on the go, many mobile devices connect with public or shared computers that are outside a company’s control and have unknown security. Or they use public Wi-Fi networks to transmit data, risking potential intercept. 

• Stolen Secrets. If an employee loses a mobile device that is not secure, not only is personal information at risk, but an organization’s sensitive data and trade secrets could be compromised.

 

Security Challenges

An increasingly mobile workforce means a greater risk of cyber attack. Much of the threat stems from a lack of awareness. Many employees use their mobile devices to store or access business information, often without thinking about security. That’s why organizations need to enforce their security policies across mobile devices as well. 

 

In addition to installing security solutions, organizations must educate employees on the growing threat of cyber attack and how they can help stop it, such as:

• Using a password or personal identification number (PIN) for user authentication 

• Avoiding links included in emails and texts

• Downloading apps only from official sources and not from third-party stores where repackaged copies can be distributed

• Not jailbreaking a phone

• Notifying the company’s IT team if a device is operating suspiciously, like sending unauthorized text messages, redirecting to random websites or experiencing a sudden, significantly shorter battery life

 

User Training 

With employees placing more sensitive business data on their phones and tables, their use of these mobile devices represents a weak spot in security, and attackers are taking advantage of it. In fact, according to IBM’s third annual Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) study of top security leaders in organizations released in December, only 45 percent of security leaders have an effective mobile device management approach. To learn how to protect your organization against infiltration where it originates, CipherEx offers user training programs that are uniquely memorable, positive and thorough. Visit www.CipherEx.com to learn more.

 

About CipherEx – Since 2003, the people at CipherEx have been serving major global corporations with network and network security consulting, improving productivity and ROI in a more secure environment. The company’s user awareness training covers key areas such as security in the office, password security, social engineering, securing data, sharing info/social networks, internet file sharing services, mobile data storage devices, data destruction and phishing/spear phishing in easy-to-understand video presentations that are a cost effective way to educate employees about cyber risks. To learn more, visit www.CipherEx.com.