Tag: mobile device security

A report from Check Point Software revealed that for nearly half of them, this led to over $100,00 in damages.

A recent report produced by Check Point Software, which was published under the title of “The Impact of Mobile Devices on Information Security” has indicated that over the 12 months preceding their survey 79 percent of businesses experienced an incident relating to mobile security.

The survey not only determined that these issues were quite common but they are also very costly.

The survey included the participation of 790 IT professionals. It was conducted by Dimensional Research, which discovered that for 42 percent of the businesses that experienced these mobile security incidences, 42 percent said that it cost over $100,000 to repair the damages. Moreover, for 16 percent of the participants, the cost of these incidents was greater than $500,000.

Among large businesses, 52 percent said that mobile security incidents cost them over a half million dollars.

Nearly all of the companies that permitted the use of personal smartphones said that there is a growth in the number of these devices connecting to their corporate networks. Moreover, 45 percent of them said that there are five times more personal smartphones connecting to those networks than there had been in 2011.

At the same time, the research suggested that 63 percent of the participating businesses do not manage the corporate information over personal smartphones. Furthermore, 93 percent have stated that they have struggled to implement policies surrounding their BYOD programs. In fact, 67 percent felt that mobile security regarding corporate information is their primary challenge with BYOD policies.

Check Point mobile security evangelist and researcher, Tomer Teller, explained in a statement that “Without question, the explosion of BYOD, mobile apps, and cloud services has created a herculean task to protect corporate information for businesses both large and small.” He added that “An effective mobile security strategy will focus on protecting corporate information on the multitude of devices and implementing proper secure access controls to information and applications on the go. Equally important is educating employees about best practices as majority of businesses are more concerned with careless employees than cybercriminals.”

4G could exaggerate the mobile security risks that businesses and consumers face

Security has been a growing concern in the mobile space for years. As consumers become more reliant on mobile technology, the more malicious parties begin to target smartphones and tablets to attain valuable information. Security concerns have become more pronounced due to the growing popularity of mobile commerce. With mobile payments growing more common, mobile security has become a top priority for many businesses and organizations around the world. Voltage is one such company.

Voltage predicts surge in cyber crime

Voltage is a leading security firm that believes a surge in cyber crime is on the horizon. While the advent of mobile commerce has lead to a rise in hacking and other such attacks, it may be the expansion of the 4G network that could make threats significantly more dangerous for consumers and businesses alike. Voltage suggests that the introduction of 4G speeds could leave businesses, especially, somewhat exposed to cyber attacks.

Mobile devices may not be as secure as they can be

4G connectivity allows consumers using mobile devices to access the Internet more quickly. For businesses, 4G means faster online services, which could mean better consumer engagement. Many businesses already encourage employees to use their mobile devices for a variety of purposes, especially when it comes to consumer engagement. As 4G connectivity becomes more common, these devices may begin to pose a significant mobile security threat for businesses, as these devices are not necessarily protected against the major risks they face.

Consumers and businesses encouraged to take steps to protect themselves

Voltage suggests that businesses should take steps to protect themselves from the expansion of 4G networks. These networks themselves are not considered a problem, but they could become a very popular avenue for hackers and malicious groups that are looking to take advantage of any mobile security shortfalls that may exist. Consumers are also being encouraged to take measures to protect themselves, especially those that participate in mobile commerce.