As cell phones and tablets become more complex and capable, so does the threat of them being hacked. With the right equipment, hackers can gain full control and install malware on a phone within 30 seconds. Most employees not only use their phones regularly for work, they rely on them. Therefore, in addition to protecting the operation with a Privacy and Network Security Insurance, share the following information regarding cyber threats and portable devices with your clients.
Physical access.
It’s impossible to prevent hackers from accessing portable devices if they have physical access. While phones, tablets and laptops are easy to travel with, their small size makes it easier to leave behind by accident. Even encrypted information and passwords are futile attempts at protecting a device that falls into the wrong hands.
Communication interception.
Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones are susceptible to the same attacks that affect other Wi-Fi-capable devices. The technology to hack into wireless networks is readily available, and much of it is accessible online, making Wi-Fi hacking and man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks easy to perform. Cellular data transmission can also be intercepted and decrypted. Hackers can exploit weaknesses in these Wi-Fi and cellular data protocols to eavesdrop on data transmission, or to hijack users’ sessions for online services, including web-based email. For companies with workers who use free Wi-Fi hot spot services, the stakes are high, explains Forsythe Focus.
Personal device avenues for risk.
SMS, MMS and browser attacks are common on cell phones. In the same way that PC’s have been attacked in the past, modern cell phones offer a variety of avenues for hackers to breach.
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