How Mobile Devices Can Thwart Security and What to Do About It

People love mobile devices. Smartphones, tablets, laptops and other connected tools have become indispensable assets for businesses, revolutionizing productivity, streamlining operations and enabling flexible, remote work.

But as mobile devices increasingly integrate with business operations, they create vulnerabilities and bring significant cybersecurity risks that can override robust security frameworks. Let’s explore a few ways mobile devices can thwart security measures – and how you can mitigate these risks.

Read: The 7 Benefits of Mobile Collaboration

1. Employees Fail to Follow Security Measures

Even the best security policies can fall short if employees aren’t aware of them or don’t know how to comply. Staff may not understand the severity of cyber threats and why they should follow them. Plus, employees may resort to workarounds that compromise security when faced with inconvenience or perceived inefficiency.

2. Mobile Devices Have Increased Network Exposure

The sheer number of connected devices – from smartphones and tablets to smart security systems, environmental controls and even IoT devices – widens a company’s security perimeter. However, each device also adds potential entry points for cyber criminals, increasing the need for proactive protection.

3. BYOD and Personal Device Risks

The “bring your own device” (BYOD) trend allows employees to use their own devices for work, which can boost productivity and reduce hardware costs. However, with employees accessing resources from multiple devices without appropriate controls, BYOD can expose companies to cyber attacks, unauthorized access and data loss. If a device is lost or stolen, sensitive company data can fall into the wrong hands.

4. Cyber Attack Detection on Mobile Devices Is Difficult

Mobile devices are common targets for malware, ransomware and phishing attacks. As these attacks have become increasingly advanced, effective detection has become more challenging. Signs of infection, such as decreased battery life, poor app performance or unusual data usage, can go unnoticed or be mistaken for hardware issues.

5. Unsecured Networks and Devices

Mobile devices are often connected to various networks, including public Wi-Fi, making their devices vulnerable to hackers who can intercept sensitive data. Poorly configured home networks can also expose devices to threats, and outdated operating systems, software and apps may have unpatched vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Unfortunately, many businesses don’t have the expertise or technology needed to make all endpoints visible and secure; many mobile security policies only cover company-owned devices but overlook others, putting the entire network at risk.

How You Can Protect Your Business Against Mobile Device Risks

To mitigate these risks, businesses must adopt a strategic approach to keep mobile devices secure without compromising user experience or productivity.

• Mobile device management (MDM): MDM solutions allow IT teams to remotely monitor, manage and secure devices, enforce device-level security settings and detect compromised devices.
• Strong password policies: Enforce strong passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect accounts.
• Data encryption: Encrypt sensitive data both at rest and in transit to prevent unauthorized access.
• Access restrictions: Set up device-specific access controls to limit what any device can access without added verification.
• Employee training: Regular security awareness training on safe mobile practices can empower employees to recognize and avoid threats.
• Network security: Implement robust network security measures, such as firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS and IPS) and virtual private networks (VPNs).
• Endpoint security: Protect all devices interacting with your network with antivirus software, endpoint detection and response (EDR) and regular updates.
• BYOD policy: Implement a robust BYOD policy with security controls, including the ability to remotely lock or wipe corporate data from lost or stolen data.

Mobile Device Security with Thriveon

At Thriveon, we understand the critical importance of cybersecurity in today’s digital age. That’s why IT security is a significant part of our cybersecurity services. We help companies develop and implement a layered, proactive approach to cybersecurity so they can safeguard their networks and data against mobile-specific threats. We also provide dedicated fractional CIOs to help with any cybersecurity concerns or issues.

Let Thriveon provide strategic guidance and IT security solutions to keep your network and business safe. Schedule a meeting today.