Nowadays, mobile security comes on the top priority list of any company or individual. There are reasons for taking mobile cybersecurity this seriously.
According to a survey conducted by Zimperium, 60% of interaction with the corporate data is getting completed with Smartphones.
Thanks to the global pandemic, the number of “Remotely working” employees are gradually increasing. Although it is a good thing to work from your own home’s comfort, it still raises the chances of private and confidential information getting leaked.
A recent 2020 report states that the average cost of any corporate breach is almost $3.86 million. There are high chances that the number would increase as the employees are facing several challenges while working online from their homes.
Not only the company’s data but your personal and private information is also at stake because of your digital footprint. Once your data goes into the wrong hand, there’s nothing you can do to reverse the situation.
It is true that tech companies are creating and updating mobile applications to defend against such security threats. You must avail of trusted mobile threat protection to secure your mobile workforce and data. However, hackers are also constantly changing their game to hack your personal information.
You should know that mobile malware is not the only threat that can cause a data breach. As a matter of fact, there is a very rare chance that data violations can happen due to malware. So, you should be worried about other serious mobile security threats.
Here, in this article, you will get to know about five mobile security threats that you should never take lightly.
Leaked Data
This is a serious concern for both the companies and the individuals. If your data gets leaked, this means someone’s got their hands on your confidential information such as social security number or banking account details. Those criminals can commit serious fraud offenses under your name.
The leaked data issue also has a great impact on both private and government companies. The private companies who have faced this type of data breaching, like Yahoo, Target, Equifax, have lost their reputation and market presence. For government companies, the impact of data breaches can be devastating. If highly confidential data like political dealings or military operations get leaked and the foreign countries find that, then it would be a major threat for the country and the citizens.
The information can get leaked if you give permission to view and share data to a certain mobile application without confirming its authenticity. There are some data loss prevention tools available to put a stop to this problem.
Wi-Fi Interference
A mobile device’s security also depends on the network it’s been connected to. Majorly the mobile users connect their phones with Wi-Fi networks to work or browse online. Mobile security can be at stake if you are connected with public Wi-Fi or a poorly configured home network. In such cases, the hackers intercept the communication and steal the data.
Using a zero-trust network access model for remote workers can be beneficial to encourage proper usage of Wi-Fi networks. Plus, choosing and using an enterprise-level VPN also provides extra security.
Social Engineering
91% of cybercrimes like scams or phishing happens over emails. If you look closely at the phishing rates graph over the year, you can see an alarming increasing result. In 2017 where the phishing percentage was 38, the number grew almost double in 2018.
Mobile users promptly check text messages or emails on their phone rather than using the desktop, making it easier for scammers to fraud them. Apart from that some social media service or games are not completely risk-free. This increases the phishing attack chances.
You can prevent such attacks by using hardware-based authentication means logging in through physical security keys like Titan (powered by Google). If you are an Android user, you can even use the on-device security key to boost your phone’s security.
Poor Password Choices
There are many people who log in to their personal and official accounts from their mobile. If you are one of them and don’t use proper and different passwords for both accounts, you are unknowingly risking your and your company’s information.
A Google survey stated that half of the American mobile phone users use the same passwords for multiple accounts. Verizon confirmed that 80% of data breach happens because of poor password.
By actively using a password manager, you can secure your accounts with robust passwords.
Physical Device Breaching
Though it may sound silly but lost or stolen mobiles are often the cause of data leakage. Anyone can easily open unattended mobiles with no password, PIN or biometric registration and that would cause a real threat.
Using a strong password or pattern and also including biometrics registration is a solution if you are looking for options to encrypt your data.
Conclusion
It is a fact that every day the number of mobile users is increasing, and this means the chances of mobile cybercrime are also rising. Now is the time that the manufacturers also take this seriously and ensures robust security to defend against such threats. On the other hand, the users also need to take proper measurements to secure their data and information.