Do you feel 100% secure in your organization’s mobile security preparations?
Mobile security can be a scary thing when you don’t fully understand it. In the “real world,” you can see when a door isn’t locked, or a safe is left open. But in the digital world, it can require specialized training to know when you’re basically leaving all of your data available for hackers and other malicious actors.
As new technologies go mainstream, there is always a learning curve attached. And with that curve comes opportunities for hacks and digital data breaches. We are on the verge of another mobile revolution in the United States. Fifth-generation cellular technology is going to make your mobile connection just as fast (if not faster) than WiFi. While this offers some incredible advantages, many individuals and organizations aren’t prepared for potential new attack vectors threats.
Should You Sacrifice Mobile and Digital Security for Productivity?
As human beings, we hate inconveniences and inefficiencies. Organizations look under every stone for places where they can improve productivity and, therefore, their bottom line. However, this can often result in them sacrificing security for convenience, resulting in an absolute disaster. It’s a classic case of trading long-term success for short-term gains.
According to the 2020 Verizon Mobile Security Index Report, a full 43% of companies sacrifice their mobile security for connivence, resulting in them being twice as likely to be compromised. And the problem keeps getting worse and worse. In 2018, only 27% of companies were compromised. In 2020, that number was 39%, an increase of 12% over two years.
Why do companies do this? It all boils down to speed and productivity. Effective digital security measures can slow things down. Two-factor authentication, for example, is a no-brainer, but many organizations and individuals refuse to put it into practice because it takes longer to log into websites and services. This mentality can result in high levels of danger for a company’s mobile security.
Even if the vast majority of people at an organization take proper digital and mobile security preparations, it only takes one person accidentally sending a malicious email link to compromise everything. When this happens, it can set off a chain reaction that can severely damage reputations and business.
For example, it isn’t only a matter of your compromised security. It can result in vast amounts of downtime as IT staff and others will need to spend time restoring systems and getting everything up and running again. There can also be regulatory penalties for customer data breaches. If it isn’t apparent, the repercussions of a digital data breach can be long-lasting for a corporation.
And if you think this only happens to massive businesses, you’re mistaken. Hackers and others know that small and mid-sized corporations can’t afford the same level of cybersecurity as the “big boys,” and so they are targeted with regular frequency.
What Drives Positive Digital Security Changes?
You know the concept of “teenage invincibility?”
Teenagers have a difficult time believing that anything negative can happen to them. Car crashes or accidents happen to other people, right? Unfortunately, their behavior usually doesn’t change until they are brutally confronted by reality.
Organizations often suffer from a sort of “teenage invisibility” of their own. It isn’t until their digital security is compromised that they realize they must change things and improve their behavior. It’s estimated 43% of companies that experienced compromised security start to spend additional money on digital security. Only 15% of companies spend more on digital security if they haven’t been compromised.
With this kind of behavior, it’s no wonder why regulatory agencies and governments have started to step in to fill the void. New regulatory penalties have been put into place over the last few years since the passage of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation in 2016 and California’s Consumer Privacy Act in 2018. If you don’t want to end up paying regularity penalties as a result of mobile security breaches, you need to step up your security game.
What Can Be Done to Improve Digital Security?
Over the years, ComSec LLC has worked with dozens of corporations to improve their mobile security, protecting them from cyber eavesdropping.
The trick for many IT departments is that security threats are continually evolving. While they can put measures in place to protect against today’s vulnerabilities, they don’t have the budget to safeguard against tomorrow’s threats. How many IT departments do you bet are ready for potential security flaws in upcoming 5G technology?
That is why having ComSec LLC in your corner is such a necessity in today’s mobile-focused world. For example, if you are concerned that your mobile device is somehow compromised with a GPS-tracking app or other spyware, how can you know for sure? That’s easy! By taking advantage of our Cell Phone Forensic services.
We use Cellebrite cell phone forensic technology, the kind that is preferred by law enforcement, military, and intelligence services. It allows us to detect viruses, spyware, trojans, malware, or tracking tools. If your device is infected with spyware / malware, we will detect it, identify the type, and the way it entered the device (email, text, website, etc.)
We offer this service for all cell phones, smartphones, iPads, and tablets. And, we even offer on site services for businesses, non-profits, etc. who wish to check employee devices conveniently at the workplace. That’s peace of mind for not only you, but also your organization.
For individual device(s), you can send the device to our offices for examination. And within just a few days, we will send the device back to you and provide an electronic report with the results. That quickly, you will know if your mobile device is infected with spyware / malware.
And this is only one of the mobile-focused security services that we offer at ComSec LLC. If you’re curious about what else we offer, we invite you to explore our website. Make sure your corporate security and mobile privacy are secure by contacting us today!
About the Author:
J.D. LeaSure, CCISM, is the President / CEO of ComSec LLC, a global provider of world class counterespionage and TSCM / Cyber TSCM™ services. www.ComSecLLc.com