SOTI: Mobile Device Security Risks Rampant in Hybrid, Remote Working
Mobile ransomware is one of the fastest-growing categories of malware.
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For organizations implementing mobile technology into everyday operations, especially for businesses that embrace BYOD policies for employees, devices are often accessing and streaming information that is restricted or classified within corporate networks, said SOTI’s Shash Anand.
“Employees are also culprits and a risk if their devices are not properly protected and set up,” he said. “In fact, a recent study from SOTI, ‘A Critical Investment: Taking the Pulse of Technology in Health Care,‘ found that over one-third of health care organizations experience data leaks caused by their own frontline employees. This is a risk that is highly preventable with the right tools and training in place.”
An intelligent, remote device management software is an investment for the future, Anand said.
“Enterprise mobility management (EMM) solutions heavily reduce the exposure of corporate networks and therefore reduce putting sensitive data at risk,” he said. “It controls device security, manages who gets what apps and content, and fixes device problems remotely. You need a full life cycle effort, from initial device onboarding and protection, through monitoring and controlling the device during everyday use, to its eventual retirement. Once a security service is in place, it is easy to adapt the solution as your company evolves and new threats take form.”
As the number of new mobile devices and apps, as well as people using devices, skyrockets, so are cybercriminals targeting mobile devices and apps to steal sensitive data and slow down processes, Anand said.
“Mobile devices are soft targets,” he said. “They operate outside of the walls of the office and use public communications networks. Twenty percent of companies believe that their business has already experienced a mobile security breach, while 24% don’t know if they have or haven’t been breached.”
Mobile ransomware is one of the fastest-growing categories of malware, Anand said.
“When you factor in the scale and vulnerability of IoT, you get a grim picture of the future,” he said. “Tens of billions of devices and endpoints with little or no security. There are no silver bullets in regard to mobile security, but there are some straightforward steps you can take to make things better.”
Companies should create a corporate mobility policy to establish guidelines around the assignment and use of mobile devices and apps within the business, Anand said.
“It will answer important questions such as who within the company should get what type of mobile device (laptop, tablet or smartphone),” he said. “What apps do workers need or are allowed to install on their own? Who gets access to what documents and files, and from where can they access them? Does your company allow or promote BYOD and apps? If so, how are they secured to prevent data leakage? The best corporate mobility policy is simply to have one. Once something is in place, it is easy to grow it and change it as your company evolves and mobile workers figure out new ways to mess things up.”
Organizations face major business risks, Anand said. For example, resilient, sustainable cybersecurity often lacks a mobile-first mindset and risks hampering operational success and jeopardizing worker productivity. Over time this hurts their bottom line.
“Without the proper cybersecurity measures in place, enterprises face the major risk of data leaks, ransomware attacks, loss of precious company information and more,” he said. “Companies may also face the risk of remaining reactive instead of proactive, which can hurt productivity if they do not have the flexibility to test and change devices quickly and easily. For example, your company may be an Apple-only organization for now, but in the future, you may consider other brands of devices as new regulations develop, such as Apple’s latest switch to USB-C charging ports to comply with new EU regulations.”
With printers being an essential part of business-critical operations today, printer management can become a real challenge, Anand said.
“There are a range of cybersecurity risks that organization’s place on themselves when they leave devices like printers unsecured and unmanaged,” he said. “In fact, 90% of companies don’t know how many printers they have and around 60% of businesses lose data through printer security breaches.”
With printers being an essential part of business-critical operations today, printer management can become a real challenge, Anand said.
“There are a range of cybersecurity risks that organization’s place on themselves when they leave devices like printers unsecured and unmanaged,” he said. “In fact, 90% of companies don’t know how many printers they have and around 60% of businesses lose data through printer security breaches.”
With new hybrid and remote working models, more mobile devices than ever are being used in the workforce, prompting mobile device security risks.
There’s an ever-increasing use of mobile devices in the workplace. That requires companies to review the policies and technologies in place to control the types of applications installed on employee devices. That’s according to Shash Anand, senior vice president of strategy at SOTI, a provider of mobile and IoT device management.
SOTI’s Shash Anand
“With digital transformation at an all-time high, companies that manage personal and corporate data are at higher risk of maintaining compliance and mitigating risks,” he said.
Mobile Device Security Risk Shifts with Employee Fluctuation
“There are a huge range of devices available and different device form factors from smartphones to tablets,” Anand said. “Alongside device provision, there has also been a fluctuation in employees working and then not working. Coined the ‘Great Resignation,’ 2022 has shown a dwindling supply of workers seeking better occupational conditions. This heightens the need to secure and wipe devices, remove devices from the network for extended periods, or even redeploy devices from one staff member to the next. This sensitive handling of corporate data on personal devices, and vice versa, is a necessary part of scaling the workforce.”
By implementing security solutions, the hassle of this process is simplified for the IT team, Anand said.
“Equally, lost and stolen devices cause major issues for data protection, especially where employees are in a customer service capacity or handling customer data on their device,” he said.
Knowing a solution can wipe and clean a device remotely is huge for peace of mind, Anand said. It removes legal risk as well.
Scroll through our slideshow above for more from SOTI on mobile device security.
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