Security Threats For Mobile Enterprise And How To Overcome Them?

Over the last few years, the business communication is experiencing revolutionary changes due to the enhanced capacities and popularity of mobile devices. It has resulted in full-time connectivity irrespective of time, location, and situation. It has also boosted the speed and enhanced the efficiency of business communication. However, the mobile enterprises have their own set of challenges and security threat tops the list.

This 2 part series will focus on the security threats faced while using the mobile devices for business communication and the solution for such threats:

Iot Or Internet Of Things:

The IoT is a revolutionary development in the mobile IT field but along with offering wonderful benefits for well-intended users, it has also empowered malicious hackers. Their evil viruses have got more routes/mediums to travel through and plague the IT system.

• Numerous utility items can now have an IP address and could be used by hackers to steal, sell, misuse, or simply damage your crucial business data affecting your business, revenue, and customers.
• Hence, securing your office PCs/laptops is not enough; you also need to take suitable preventive measures while using your smartwatches, Android phones, wearable apps and other internet-enabled devices.

Data Theft:

Thanks to the low-cost, effective carrier networks, the connectivity is literally “in the air”- you don’t necessarily need any wires to remain connected. But the basic level of security offered by such networks is clearly not recommended to shield your vital data that can have a decisive effect on your business.

• The major threat here is the data breaching and manipulation.
• You need a high level of encryption to ensure that the data is transmitted and archived securely by the intended user.
• Even if the data is somehow manipulated by a malicious user, you will come to know when your encrypted data is tempered by an unauthorized person.

Unauthorized Access:

Unauthorized access to your wireless devices involves a number of walk-in passengers, intruders, and well-intended corporate spies hired by your competitors. As a mobile enterprise, it is only natural that during many instances you would be accessing the internet while on the go- in the public transportation, restaurants, business centers and public parks.

• You need multiple gates for the multiphase verification process.
• Merely authenticating a user will not suffice, you also need to customize authorization according to their roles and decide their accountability.
• While it is not an easy task even more challenging is to building such a process on your smartphones and ensuring that it works in an intended manner without adding hassles to the communication.
• Using other techniques for preventing intrusions like 2-factor authorization and firewalls are equally recommendable but admittedly challenging.

Physical Security Of Devices:

While a major focus is on ensuring the digital security throughout various data processes like transferring, communicating, receiving and using the data, another oft-ignored challenge lies in the form of physical security of the devices that are used for communication, transmitting and achieving the crucial data. In fact, even the multifaceted, multiphase security fails to protect your data once you misplace your mobile device.

• Annually a huge number of devices are misplaced while commuting, in the public places and in offices.
• Along with the obvious threat of losing crucial exclusive data, it also poses a bigger threat of allowing hackers, corporate spies and other unauthorized users to steal or misuse your data that your device contains.
• Worse still, it can also allow the more sophisticated thieves to “steal your authority” to control your resources or clients for their own benefit.

Liberal Communication Policies:

Due to the increasing number of global clients, heightened competition and lack of client’s loyalty many companies have given an unofficial permission to their staff for liberal communication with clients- anytime, anywhere and on any device! It is especially true in the case of outsourcing companies that have to respect their offshore clients’ native time without compromising on the prompt response.

• The employees may use their own devices at their own houses or any other place to respond to the clients’ communication even during unofficial hours.
• Restricting them to use the only official device in such instances is neither recommendable nor practical.
• Though these threats look daunting for CEOs as well as key personnel like CTOs and IT officers, the challenges are not without solutions. It only requires one to change their perspective, define/design a complete set of guidelines and ensure the proper compliance. Understandably it will take some time for the entire organization and personnel to make them familiar with the new technology but within a reasonable period of time, the things will be streamlined. All that is needed is practice and compliance.

About the Author:Annette is a content writer and director of operations. She writes for various industries like travel, wildlife, history, art, and of course technology! She works with B2B and B2C businesses providing digital marketing content that gains social media attention and increases their search engine visibility.

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