Learn how mobile devices can be extremely vulnerable without the right cybersecurity
With the massive rise in popularity of smartphones and tablets, organizations are constantly looking at ways to cater to this expanding audience of users. And as is the case with the growth of any area of technology, with increased usage comes the potential for a variety of security issues.
As companies look to capitalize on the mobile market through an increasing number of mobile apps and other mobile productivity tools, it’s important that they protect themselves as well as their customers from hacking and other security breaches.
Companies need to do their own due diligence
A shocking study from the Ponemon Institute found that out of 640 surveyed businesses, less than half tested the mobile apps that they built, and more than 30% of the companies polled never performed any type of security testing before they released their apps to the market.
These statistics show that organizations need to be keenly aware of what apps are on their employee’s phones, especially in light of the growth of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies among companies.
How to make mobile applications more secure?
Now that we’ve identified just how large of a market there is for mobile app security, it’s important to outline what companies can do to patch any security vulnerabilities.
Look at the code
Mobile malware is one of the most common ways that hackers gain access to vulnerable devices. With Trend Micro expecting mobile malware to affect 20 million devices by the end of 2016, it’s critical to ensure any mobile application code that your company controls or oversees is secure.
Engineers must work extremely hard during the mobile development process to prevent malware infiltrations by reverse engineering the code to attempt to spot potential areas where malware may be used.
Protect critical company data
When people are using mobile phones for work-related tasks, they can be unknowingly exposed to a variety of cyber attacks. This can happen if a phone is lost or stolen, or if a user shares company data through applications that have not been vetted by the IT team.
Ideally, companies will primarily use applications which prevent the storage of critical data on a mobile device. Another key tactic is to use encryption as a method to secure critical information on a tablet or phone.
Protecting the mobile device itself
Any company data or mobile application is only as secure as the device that it’s being stored on. Devices that are “rooted,” or “jailbroken” can make a device much more susceptible to hacking and malware.
Companies can use what is known as risk-based authentication to prevent access to certain mobile devices that do not meet certain security criteria. This type of authentication can also restrict access to certain activities or applications until the device is deemed compliant again.
Mobile security is critical for today’s growing businesses.
The security of mobile apps on smartphones and tablets that are used in a business capacity is paramount. Keeping an eye on the code, data, and the mobile device itself can help protect an organization from harmful mobile malware and other hacking attempts.
If you’re unsure of how strong your current mobile security measures may be, it’s likely time to call in our team of experts at CloudHesive. We’ve worked with a variety of companies, big and small, who needed a mobile security strategy tune up that served their needs both today and well into the future. Feel free to give us a call today at 800-860-2040, or email us through our contact form to setup a consultation with one of our mobile security experts.
