Your business lets employees access its core network using a variety of mobile devices. But are you taking appropriate security measures for this privilege? Here are some common pitfalls of bring your own device (BYOD) programs that could cripple your core network and leave your company’s sensitive information exposed to the public if left unchecked:
Stolen devices: Here is a scary statistic: According to a recent study from Lookout, one in 10 U.S. smartphone owners are victims of phone theft. And 68 percent of victims are unable to recover their device after it is stolen. What makes this scary is that even if a phone is completely “wiped,” or removed of its data, an experienced criminal can still recover some information and cause a security breach in your organization.
Phishing attacks: The point of a phishing attack is to install malware, which can then wreak havoc on your network. Even if you’ve installed today’s most secure anti-malware software to protect your network, you can never be entirely safe from an attack. Phishing attacks can come from a variety of sources such as voice calls, text messages, tweets and Facebook messages.
Unprotected mobile devices: While you’d hope that your employees at the very least use passwords or PINs to protect their devices, many choose to sacrifice security for speed. After all, passwords can impede productivity. But this means that if a phone is lost or stolen, or hacked into, interlopers will have no trouble at all accessing sensitive information. Using a password might not be the best solution for protecting a device, as a hacker could easily break the code, but it could buy your IT department enough time to revoke security privileges or take other appropriate measures in the event of a lost device.
Unethical employees: As NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden proved, sometimes data breaches can be spread intentionally from someone on your team if they are permitted too much data. If employees have this kind of access, it could wind up being used against your organization if the right opportunity—along with a lapse in judgment—presents itself.
For more information about how APEX managed IT services in Norwalk, CT, can help keep your network safe from criminals, click here.