Verizon, one of the largest communication technology companies in the world, has published a report on mobile security which finds that “securing mobility is no longer optional, but crucial to securing future innovation and transformation”. Verizon asked survey respondents to rate how crucial mobile is to their business on a 10-point scale; 83% answered 8 or higher. However, Verizon also found that only 13% of businesses actually engaged the most basic mobile security practices.
The full report (available at the link below) clearly states that attacks on mobile devices are on the rise and that trend will continue. Attacking a mobile devices exposes personal and sensitive data, often allows access to internal networks and sometimes even to industrial control systems.
A lot of organisations do not yet realise the impact a security breach can have on their IT, customers and other stakeholders. Organisations still tend to understimate the need for effective security for mobile devices, although that trend is getting better. It is important to note that all industries are targets for the mobile threats, and as supply chains get more and more diverse, attacking one part of the chain will impact the chain as a whole.
Time to market and speed are often a driving force for companies and security is often perceived as a complicating and delaying factor. This leads to risks and vulnerabilities that can and will be exploited by evermore creative hackers and malware agents. The new targets for these attacks are often service users or staff, either directly or via their social networks and connections. As malware and spyware evolve, it gets harder and harder for normal users to distinguish the good from the bad. Even mobile apps downloaded from official app stores can be infected with malware and create financial and privacy damages.
To make sure security is addressed properly without overspending or delaying deployment, users, organisation and technology need to be addressed in a balanced approach.
Cyberlink Security can assist with assessing the technical security of your mobile IT multiverse, from IoT to mobile applications. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
The full Verizon report is available here –
