The reliance on mobile devices is being hugely preyed upon by cyber criminals. As the Cloud becomes more prevalent in offering new models for growth, data protection is complicated.
Mobile device vulnerabilities were at the forefront of the annual ‘IBM X-Force Trend and Risk Report.’
This report examined data from more than 4,000 clients across their customer base. One of the main findings was that mobile devices are becoming a huge target for malware which uses application vehicles widely replied upon.
“Seventy thousand new malware strains are detected every day and 54% of employees use their own mobile devices for business purposes,” stated Campbell-Young, CEO at Phoenix Software. However the issue is that attacks on mobile devices are not only more frequent but also much more difficult to detect than ever.
“it’s not nearly as prevalent as attacks against traditional workstations, but it’s growing and it’s a problem that people need to start taking seriously,” stated Tom Cross, co-author of the report.
The general consensus is that a fair level of awareness exists at the top level however there is a great need to educate wider users. This is especially the case as mobile progressively transitions from the consumer market into business.
“New technologies are constantly being created that produce new challenges for IT security professionals,” Cross continued.
“Smartphones and the mobile malware threat they present are the biggest risk both businesses and consumers face today. Malware targeting of the Android operating system has increased by 400%, and 85% of smart phone users are not employing an anti-virus solution to scan for malware,” said Campbell–Young.
“Sure, employees are checking Facebook on their lunch break, but they’re also using social tools to answer customer calls, collaborate with colleaugues and partners, and seek user input for new product innovations” he continued.
Juniper found a 155% increase worldwide in mobile malware across all mobile devices. “The rapid growth in mobile malware combined with ongoing concerns about lost and stolen devices illustrated just how important of an issue mobile security is – and that is an issue that affects everyone, not just corporations” says Dan Hoffman at Juniper.
Mobile security is something that everyone from the top down should be aware of. With so much malware cropping up everyday it is important that organisations stay up to date.
