One of the biggest changes to today’s business landscape is the rising use of mobile devices. Through their ability to enhance connectivity between team members and increasing productivity through remote capabilities, mobile devices contribute significantly to business growth.
However, this means that more devices are accessing and sharing business data, introducing a higher number of access points that cyber criminals can breach. The skill levels of these criminals are rising, so when you don’t effectively protect your mobile devices this could result in impacts to your business. For example, you could risk reputational damages and even legal ramifications if customer data becomes compromised.
This is one of the reasons why business leaders need to invest in their mobile security. Let’s delve into this further.
The importance of effective mobile security
According to a global survey of 13,000 employees working remotely, 39% were gaining access to company information using their personal devices, and 36% were doing this without basic password protection. Similarly, 45% of business travellers were using their devices to engage in risky behaviour, like connecting to public Wi-Fi, even though these devices held sensitive information. This demonstrates the importance of establishing mobile security along with a strong cyber security culture.
Failure to do so can make it much easier for hackers to manipulate or steal information from your devices. This could come in the form of stealing employee credentials or using phishing emails to breach your business systems. They could even listen in on calls made over unsecured mobiles.
Let’s examine how the creation of an effective cyber security infrastructure can help prevent these situations.
How to put in place better mobile security
1. Keep employees informed
As your first line of defence, it’s important to educate your employees. When they know what to look for, it can help improve your mobile security company-wide. You can begin by educating your team on the most common types of attack they will likely encounter. This includes:
Email phishing: as one of the most common cyber-attack methods, this is the one your team is most likely to fall victim to. An email or test can be sent from a cybercriminal who may pose as a trusted individual or organisation and prompt them to click a link or send a payment. This then can grant attackers access to your systems or downloads malware onto your mobile device.
Malware: this is a type of software that has been specially designed to destroy your computer systems or steal your data. This malicious software can enter your system through your network.
Ransomware: this malware can help prevent your business from accessing your files and systems until a ransom is paid. It can impact your reputation and be very disruptive to operations.
Keep in mind that this will be an ongoing process centred on discipline. You should help support your employees in making good tech decisions and rewarding good behaviour.
2. Put BYOD policies in place
Whether your team is using work-issued or personal devices, establishing a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) policy is important. It helps keep your processes more secure by setting a standard of expectations for how your staff should be using mobile technology in your business.
This could look like forbidding connections to public networks or devising a list of approved software and applications. Doing this can help you reduce the likelihood of mobile malware and other forms of attack from infiltrating your devices and business network.
3. Get your data encrypted
It can become much more difficult for hackers to access your business data when it’s encrypted. If it is ever compromised, it’s likely that the encryption software can prevent the hackers from reading the data. You should also extend this to your storage since this is likely an access point attackers will attempt to breach.
4. Maintain software updates of devices and applications
When you make updates compulsory, it can offer a way to enhance your mobile security. Developers often implement improvements with each released update, like enhanced security capabilities, improved performance and resolutions for bugs. When your mobile devices still use outdated legacy systems, it can leave you exposed and make it easier to be compromised by an attack.
5. Invest in MDM software
Investing in Mobile device management (MDM) could help you improve your mobile security by giving you the ability to lock your devices and control the methods for unlocking them. It can also respond quickly to devise misuse or attempts to bypass security.
Using MDM, you can enhance your visibility in order to better understand threats to your mobile security and help put more effective prevention and defence strategies in place. Plus, this visibility can help your business security measures around data encryption, strong passwords and the division of personal and company information be better enforced.
Get on top of your mobile security with TBTC NSW Southern and Central
At TBTC NSW Southern and Central, our mobile security solutions and cybersecurity services can help you keep your devices more secure. From recommendations for the best MDM software to a cyber security audit that helps determine key weaknesses or threats to your business, we can help make it happen. Get in touch today, and let’s get securing.
