Tag: Mobile Security

29 August, 2016

Mobile security is becoming an important issue for the organizations to address. There is no denying the fact that mobile devices help to save time and increase employee efficiency to a great extent. However, the potential security risks posed by these devices cannot be overlooked. It is seen that most employees use the same mobile device for personal and official purposes. It means that connecting to an unsecure network or downloading a malicious app puts both type of data at risk.

Listed below are some tips to improve mobile security in an organization:

Use Strong Passwords: A lengthy and difficult password is the first line of defense against a potential data breach. Therefore, encourage your employees to keep their devices protected with a strong password. Besides the basic mobile security options like PIN numbers or patterns, they should opt for more sophisticated ones like fingerprint scanner, facial recognition, voice recognition etc.
Install Anti-Malware Software: Owing to the ignorance of users, hackers are constantly targeting mobile operating systems to initiate a malware attack. It is important that the devices used by your employees to connect to the corporate network have an anti-malware software installed. They should also regularly update the software to stay protected against the recent forms of malware.
Avoid Unsecured Wi-Fi: Many organizations today are allowing employees to work from remote locations, which increases the risk of your company’s important data being accessed and shared over public Wi-Fi connections. Make sure your employees are aware of the potential security risks and access corporate data through secure Wi-Fi networks only.
Encrypt Confidential Data: Encryption of sensitive information sent and received on mobile devices can go a long way in improving your company’s cyber security. Organizations can implement encryption policies according to the employee groups or the level of data confidentiality.
Choose Mobile Applications Carefully: You should limit or block the use of third party software on mobile devices being used for official communications. This can help to prevent the occurrence of a breach resulting from unintentional drive-by downloads or installation of applications having backdoors to transmit company’s information to the hackers. Employees should be allowed to install only reliable and a limited number of apps from a legitimate source.
Create Secured Mobile Gateways: You can consider directing mobile traffic through a special gateway with targeted security controls, such as firewalls, web content filtering and data loss prevention. This will restrict the employees from using the company’s internal network for personal communications, thereby preventing unwanted software downloads.

For more tips on improving your organization’s mobile security, you can contact Centex Technologies at (855) 375 – 9654.

Common Mobile Security Threats

By centexitguy

On April 23, 2016

In Security

April 23, 2016

Mobile devices have become an easy target for most cybercriminals due to the improper security mechanisms and lack of awareness on the part of the users. Lost or stolen devices, vulnerable applications and security flaws pose a major risk for a company’s security. Identifying these threats and being proactive in defending against them is the key to safeguard your mobile devices as well as important data.

Here are some of the common mobile security threats that need to be addressed:

Malware: Smartphones and tablets may be infected by worms, Trojans, viruses as well as other forms of malware. Users download several apps, games and software, some of which may be injected with a malicious code to steal important information stored in the device. When a device is infected, the hackers can gain access to the usernames and passwords, track online activity, collect online banking information etc. They may also use the malware to initiate hacking attacks against other mobile users.
Unauthorized Access: Mobile devices often lack strong password policies to restrict unauthorized user access. Though there is the option to set PIN, password or pattern lock, but all these can be breached easily. Also, certain malicious apps installed can also breach the users’ personal data stored on the device. Thus, all the email accounts, contacts, social media profiles, online banking details and other sensitive information are at a risk of being stolen.
Insecure Data Storage: Most of the data in a mobile device is usually stored in an unencrypted format. This poses a serious security threat as a theft, loss or unidentified access of the device by anyone puts all this information at risk. Confidential data can be easily retrieved, shared, deleted or modified.
Eavesdropping: Information sent and received through a mobile is not always secure, particularly over a wireless internet network. Thus, it can be easily intercepted by a hacker. Eavesdropping attacks are usually undetectable, making the user to unintentionally leak out sensitive information shared through phone calls and instant messages to the cybercriminals.
Unauthorized Modifications: Users often make certain unauthorized modifications, known as jailbreaking or rooting, in their mobile to install third party apps. This exposes them to increased security risks as they are likely to download malicious software in the device. Also, jailbroken devices are less likely to receive automatic application updates and security patches, allowing the hackers to easily exploit the vulnerabilities in the software.

For more mobile security tips and cybersecurity solutions for your business firm, feel free to contact Centex Technologies at (855) 375 – 9654.

How To Avoid Security Pitfalls While Staying Constantly Connected

By centexitguy

On February 15, 2016

In Security

February 15, 2016

In this digital age, staying constantly connected to the internet has become quite important. However, every new technology comes with its own set of security risks. If you do not take the requisite precautionary measures, your device may be targeted by cybercriminals to carry out hacking or malware-based attacks.

Here are some of the tips to avoid security pitfalls while browsing internet on a mobile device:

Be Cautious While Using Public Wi-Fi: If you are using a public internet connection or Wi-Fi hotspot, never access any website that requires you to enter sensitive information such as your bank account details, credit card number, password etc. Most hotspots do not use WPA or WPA2 protection, hence, the information you share over these connections is not encrypted. This may lead to session hijacking and all your personal data can be accessed by a cybercriminal.

Do Not Follow Links: You should never click on any attachment or link embedded in email from an unknown sender. It may be a malicious code that redirects to a spam site in order to infect your system with a malware or steal your personal information. Instead, manually type in the URL to make sure you are visiting a legitimate website. Also, do not click on ads that appear as pop-ups on websites.

Look For HTTPS: If the information shared between your device and the website being browsed is in a plain format, it can be accessed by anyone who manages to breach your internet connection. When you access a website, verify that its URL begins with ‘HTTPS’ instead of ‘HTTP’. A padlock icon will also be displayed in the address bar which indicates a secure connection.

Improve Device Security: Keep all the mobile applications software updated with the latest patches. You can enable automatic updates or regularly check if any upgraded versions have been released. Enable your device’s firewall to monitor incoming and outgoing connections as well as detect any unusual activity. You should also install anti-virus software and frequently update it to stay safe against commonly found malware.

Get A VPN: Another way to be safe while on a public internet connection is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). It acts as a barrier between your device and the web by routing your traffic in an encrypted format through a secure network. VPN helps to protect your identity and privacy online.

For more cyber security tips, feel free to contact Centex Technologies at (855) 375 – 9654.

Smartphone Security Tips

By centexitguy

On February 5, 2016

In Security

February 5, 2016

Keeping your smartphone properly secured is extremely important. Considering the wide range of tasks you carry out through your smartphone, right from social networking and banking to online shopping, following the right security measures has become a pre-requisite. It will help you protect your device against different forms of malware attacks.

Here are some tips to keep your smartphone secure:

Use A Screen Lock: This is probably the most basic and often overlooked security tip. Make sure your phone screen is locked at all times, either with a PIN or password. Create a password that is difficult to crack in case your phone is lost or stolen. You can also use a pattern lock but keep your screen clean to avoid leaving fingerprints.
Protect Sensitive Data: Even if you have used a strong password, the data stored in your device is still at risk. A cybercriminal simply needs to plug-in a USB cable to connect the smartphone to a computer and access the files stored within. To avoid this, you should keep all your important files and folders password locked or encrypted. With this, the user will be required to enter a pre-set code before the file can be viewed or copied.
Set up locate and remote wipe: Most smartphones allow the users to locate the device in case it is lost or stolen. They can even remotely wipe the information stored in the phone or simply change the PIN/password to lock the thief out of the device.
Download Apps From Trusted Sources: Allow apps from only genuine sources to be downloaded and installed in your smartphone. Also, check the app’s ratings and reviews before downloading, particularly if it is not so well-known. Read its privacy policy to know what phone features and data the app needs to access.
Turn Off Wi-Fi And Bluetooth When Not In Use: Ensure that your phone’s Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and all other wireless protocols are switched off when you are not using them. Else, put your phone in a non-discoverable mode to avoid making it vulnerable to a hacking attack. Also, turn off automatic connections to open Wi-Fi networks to leak out your smartphone’s useful data.
Install Security Software: Download a credible and trusted security app to protect your smartphone against malware and viruses. Make sure you frequently update the virus definitions. Some applications also offer additional features such as remote wipe, app lock, data backup etc.

For more smartphone security tips, contact Centex Technologies at (855) 375 – 9654.

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Tag: Mobile Security

How To Improve Your Organization’s Mobile Security

Common Mobile Security Threats

How To Avoid Security Pitfalls While Staying Constantly Connected

Smartphone Security Tips