The world of information security use to focus almost exclusively on one main thing: Desktop computers. Then came laptops, smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and the Internet of …everything fast approaches. Welcome to the new world of mobile data security!
Your business could suffer severe information damages from just one smartphone being lost. People keep their whole lives on these devices, and you can be sure that their work is on them. Knowing your risks, and some solutions, can be a great first step. This article will look at both of these aspects so that you can better control your mobile data risks.
Mobile data security risks and solutions to consider
Data on smartphones and tablets
Data which you save on your smartphones and tablets is highly vulnerable to the oldest type of theft there is: Stealing a physical object. Criminals see these types of devices as highly valuable targets for theft not only for their resale value, but for the data that could be pulled from them.
The modern iPad Pro can store 128GB worth of data. Think about how many passwords, bank transactions, and personal contacts that will be spammed when your device is stolen.
Solution: To combat this, install an app which can remotely wipe your devices. You can use Find my iPhone, or it’s Android equivalent Device Manager. Both have remote locking and remote wiping features that will, at least, give you mobile data security.
Data being transmitted on WiFi
Your smartphone isn’t just for storing data. Your other mobile data security risk is information that is stolen while your employees connect to your company server remotely. Hackers can trick your employees into connecting to them via a fake wireless access point they set up specifically to steal information.
Solution: Do what corporations, and now individuals, have been doing for years and use a trusted mobile VPN provider. This tool will encrypt your information so that hackers can’t steal it. Well, they can steal encrypted communications they can’t possibly ever read. You can also try our review of the best VPN providers for iPhone.
Remote server access
Not only do you need a secure mobile phone thanks to a
Solution: You can’t assume that mobile devices will be kept secure. Use a password protection on your servers, and do not allow for password storage. Require it to be entered each time.
Lost devices due to owner fault
We’ve all done it. We put our mobile device down somewhere weird, putting our mobile data security at risk due to our silly brain’s inability to remember EVERYTHING. A lost mobile devices can be just as dangerous as a stolen mobile device. You can never be 100% if that ‘honest’ person didn’t get into the device.
Solution: The recovery apps from above can be used to locate a device the moment you realize you’ve misplaced it. They have a ringer or screamer so that you can find it right away if it’s in the room, or in the building. Imagine someone picking your device up in public, thinking they can get away with it, only for it to start screaming in their bag!
Malware goes mobile
The thought that your mobile data security isn’t at risk due to malware is prevalent. As more and more mobile devices connect to the Internet, hackers are going to create malware which targets them. You have to think like a hacker. Where there’s more opportunity, there’s more chances for them to steal something valuable.
Solution: You’ll need a tried and tested virus protector app specifically for mobile devices. My word of advice: Don’t cheap out and use the ‘free’ ones. That could save you a few dollars a month and cost you your phone, your mobile data security, and your business.
Getting a new mobile device
If your mobile device is being sold, there are ways to recover some of the data. Even after deleting it you can’t be 100% sure that it’s gone. This can lead to the person you sell it to not being a buyer, but being a data harvester.
Solution: PC Mag have a great guide written for both iOS and Android devices. It’s more in depth than I can handle here. One thing they don’t cover is mobile devices for companies. Sometimes you can never be too sure. For your most sensitive devices, like the one which belongs to the CEO and other high ranking employees, you may want to look into physically destroying the device.
It could even feel good, in an Office Space sort of way…
Feature image via stockmumber2 / Shutterstock