Enterprise Mobile Device Security: Preventing Common Threats

It’s no surprise to anyone that mobile device security threats are on the rise. With the vast majority of personal devices routinely accessing corporate data, the prevalence of sensitive information ending up in the wrong hands is higher than ever. And so are the stakes, with $4.24 million as the average cost of a corporate data breach.

In this blog, we uncover the most common enterprise mobile device security threats and the best ways to mitigate them.

1. Social engineering
Mobile users are at the greatest risk of falling for phishing scams because of the way many mobile email clients display only a sender’s name, making it especially easy to spoof messages and trick a person into thinking an email is from someone they know or trust. Providing mobile-specific training can keep your employees from becoming the next phishing victims.

2. Poor Password Habits
Reusing passwords or having your password as “Password” isn’t a good idea. Yet, many companies put themselves at risk with passwords that are too complicated to remember or input. Using a device with a 10-character password may seem secure, but the outcome is your business data integrity goes out the window if someone writes it down and then leaves that paper lying around. When it comes to passwords, you need to balance everything to make sure you’re comfortable with the risk without hampering productivity.

3. Out-of-Date Operating Systems
Operating system updates only protect your organization if the devices used to access your systems are kept up to date at all times. Some companies have been using mobile devices for decades, and some of those devices are pretty old and are no longer supported by the manufacturer. These create security gaps, and you need to keep these out of your environment.

4. Ransomware
Mobile ransomware is one of the most damaging types of malware since it encrypts a device and then requires a ransom payment for the decryption key to restore access to the encrypted data. Using an enterprise mobile security management solution such as a unified endpoint management (UEM) platform with malware security that can detect malware and automatically quarantine the infected device.

5. Data Leakage
Data leaks can be unintentional, such as a user accidentally attaching a work document to a personal email, or more nefarious, such as hostile mobile apps. In either case, your mobile security solution can plug those holes. Ensuring all devices accessing your network are enrolled in your mobile device management (MDM) platform, containerizing your company data separately from personal data, and implementing strict identity management protocols can help you avoid data from going rogue.

6. Unsecured Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi can cost you if your sensitive data is compromised. This also goes for improperly secured home networks used by remote workers. Companies should enforce a Wi-Fi policy that clearly says all devices must be enrolled in your MDM before they can connect to Wi-Fi. It would also be good to inform your employees of the risks they face using free Wi-Fi.

7. Network Spoofing
Spoofed networks play on the appeal of free Wi-Fi with names like “Airport Wi-Fi” but are actually fake access points. Some require users to create an account and password. Counting on people to reuse passwords, hackers gain access to a variety of services and sometimes even the user’s device. It’s best to never share personal information or reuse passwords. Better yet, treat all unknown networks as threats and create MDM policies to avoid connections.

8. Lost or Stolen Mobile Devices
Lost and stolen devices are becoming more common and more of a threat to your business. Ensuring your employees know what to do when their device is lost or stolen is the first step. Enrolled devices can be remotely wiped or locked down using your enterprise mobile security management platform. You can also lock down or wipe just the corporate side of personal devices, enabling your users to still access their information.

Better Protection Partner

There’s a lot you can do to protect mobile devices within your organization. Your limitations depend on how complex, how much effort, and how much traffic your network can handle. The Stratix team helps our customers determine their must-haves to meet the specific security standards of their use cases and industry. For example, some companies believe they want the mobile devices they use to be as secure as possible, but that can lead to an overwhelming number of help desk calls that can bring business to a standstill. Stratix can help you balance usability with security, creating endpoint management policies that work for your business, use case, and role.