Mobile usage is maturing and so are the types of threats your company data is being exposed to. This week we ran a webinar in partnership with Wandera titled. Are hackers targeting your data?
David Renwick, Director, Product Advocacy, Wandera delivered a very insightful presentation, helping the audience understand the complex world of mobile attacks and the steps you can take to prevent them. The webinar recording is now available to playback at your own convenience.
Mobile working continues to rise
Mobile working is now the norm for many organisations – employees are becoming more demanding, expecting to be able to access company information and apps wherever they may be. Fantastic for business productivity but it can also present a challenging environment in which to secure company data and assets.
In this “always on” world where there are more and more apps to keep track of, new OS systems available and around 1.7 billion inputs into our system everyday - keeping track and control of systems can feel impossible. Making sure you have a solution in place to monitor systems and prevent attacks is vital. If you haven’t got an adequate security solution in place the chances are attackers are attempting to access your data right now!
Understanding the types of threats you could be exposed to
Mobile attackers are becoming ever more sophisticated – they are not interested in targeting one single device but rather using this as a route to gaining access to wider company and customer data and financial information.
A reason mobile attacks are on the rise is due to the multiple avenues that mobile devices create for attackers - it’s important to understand the different threats that there are and the types of attacks that can occur:
- Device threats – these include jailbreaks, outdates OS, malicious profiles. In the case of a malicious profile this could occur by rerouting email in order to perform surveillance.
- App threats – PII leaks from approved apps, ad servers and APIs. One example of such a threat is XCcodeGhost producer which extracts data from legitimate apps.
- Web threats – includes malicious sites and apps, browser exploits, phishing and spam. One example is card crypt – this can intercept financial data on mobiles and data that is not encrypted across browsers and apps.
- Infrastructure threats – man in the middle attacks, rogue hotspots, certificate spoofs, wifi, phishing and public cloud apps. A man in the middle attack – the user is unaware that they have actually connected to rogue wifi allowing hackers to observe their connections.
With so many points of entry available to attackers makes it easier to appreciate why a multi-level security solution is needed that provides deep visibility and control of mobile data.
Education is key
Educating your workforce is another key area to consider in the battle against mobile attacks. Do your employees really understand the impact an attack could have on your business? Are you sure you understand what they do with company information? Do you have a fit for purpose IT policy in place?
Can you afford to be a victim?
The reality is that companies cannot afford to ignore the need to secure mobiles - 28% of US businesses have suffered a mobile breach, the average cost to resolve it was $250,000! Not to mention the damage done to your brand and reputation.
