Here’s an interesting thought:
Over 16 million mobile devices worldwide were infected by malware in 2014 according to Alcatel-Lucent’s Motive Security Labs.
That was almost 7 years ago… imagine what those numbers have exploded to now in 2021!
The last time I posted about employees being one of the weakest links in your security armor.
Well, guess what?
When you combine employees and their Smartphones, that leaves one HUGE window of opportunity for cybercriminals.
You might be wondering why is this happening so frequently on mobile devices?
Firstly, hackers go after smartphones as an entry point.
From an infected smartphone, they can jump into a network and launch devastating attacks on your systems.
And once they’re in, the world is their oyster.
They’re free to steal your data or cause havoc by infecting your system with a virus that can shut down operations.
And here’s the thing…
It’s the third-party apps on our smartphones that are the major culprit.
In fact, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported that around 90% of security breaches originate from defects in software.
Why is that?
Well, mobile apps typically have poor security because developers rush to bring them to market before properly implementing security protocols.
And chances are you or one of your employees is using one of these rushed-to-market mobile apps right now.
So, whilst everyone innocently thinks using mobile apps is safe, you could be leaving your business wide open to cyber-attacks.
The good news is, there are many simple and easy things that can be done to protect your business from these bad actors.
If you’d like to learn more about how ITSM processes and IT policy can help protect your business, then head on over to ITSM Rhino today.
Feel free to discuss smartphone risks below. I will even gift one lucky comment 5 free Hive at the end of 7 days. So, share any thoughts or experiences you may have with smartphone risks below, whether as a user, techie, implementer, manager, etc. and earn a chance at 5 free Hive.
Also, as a bonus, any reblog will receive 5 free Hive.
…and, as an additional bonus, if you share this post on Twitter, use the hashtags #itsmrhino and #hive along with your Hive username, and I will send you 5 Hive. By the way, my Twitter handle is @itsmRhino, so feel free to follow.
Be on the lookout in a couple of days for another post related to IT Woes.
P.S. If you didn’t get a chance to read my recent eBook ‘You’re Not Immune to IT Woes: Don’t Ignore the Symptoms’. There are loads more great advice in here about what you need to protect your business.
Little wonder why cyber security is becoming an important field in the tech world. By the way, does susceptibility to attacks has any correlation with the operating systems of mobile phones? One would expect iOS to be a bit more secure, if at all, than Android and other OS.
Good question and there is data out there that shows some OS are targeted more than others, however, I am not sure that is because one is any more secure than the other, that is a debate for those a little more technical than me. I do believe, based on what I have seen, that they are targeted more based on the OS popularity and extent of use.
It would be interesting to know though. Security-wise, most people tend to believe that the iOS is more secured than other OS and this has always been at the back of mind for a while.
BTW, I sincerely appreciate the hive gifts.
Thanks and I really appreciate you stopping by and sharing your questions and thoughts.
Thanks. Hive sent.
Thanks. I appreciate!
This was a really great article. I am not a technican but I am interested in the topic. During my time at the University I did a study about a social engineering attack. And employees are definitely the one putting data at risk.
Thank you for the compliment. For the most part, I don't think employees intentionally put data at risk. Employers need to ensure they continually educate and enforce good cybersecurity practices.
reblogged and went trough the whole twitter process :D
Nevertheless you consider topics of general interest, worth considering. Keep up the good work!
Thank you.
This got me thinking how secure is 2 Factor authentication really? when I want to pay someone by bank transfer, the bank makes me verify any new accounts through an SMS to my mobile phone. If phones are compromised, then this means this whole system could be compromised as well?
I guess its better than nothing though.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
You make a really good point, which is why it is very important to pay close attention to what apps you allow on your phones. We always have to remain diligent with tech.
Another informative piece of information
Don't forget to use the hashtags #itsmrhino and #hive
A bit late to the party, but you know what is even worse than phones: smart devices. Smart devices are notoriously bad at security, and many smart devices (such as an oven for example) could do serious damage if compromised.
/end rant
But yeah, I definitely agree with the risks here, and luckily most 'smart' devices are not used in secure settings (as far as I'm aware).