Since the pandemic, companies have become a lot more open to individuals using their personal devices for business purposes.
By Nemanja Krstić, operations manager: managed security services at Galix
However, this introduces an additional layer of complexity and risk when it comes to security.
When personal devices have access to sensitive and potentially mission-critical business information, it becomes imperative that they are not only secured effectively but that people are fully aware of appropriate behaviours and practices.
For many businesses, this can be a significant challenge; however, as it requires specialised skills and tools, engaging with a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) can be beneficial in ensuring that mobile security threats do not become the weakest link in your security chain.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has become common practice in today’s world, and while this offers a level of freedom to employees, it also comes with additional risks for business. Clicking on suspicious links, browsing on unsecured networks, and installing applications from unauthorised sources are all actions many people take without thinking, and when using a personal device, they feel at liberty to do so.
The problem is that these behaviours could infect devices with malware or expose you to ransomware, and on a device that has access to company infrastructure and storage, this has the potential to spread into the company environment. In addition, mobile devices are easily lost or stolen, which puts company-related applications with access to corporate infrastructure into the wrong hands. With access to senior or an executive personnel’s mobile device, it also makes it easier for those with malicious intent to impersonate them and exploit the information contained on the devices for criminal gain.
Built-in security measures on mobile devices are insufficient, particularly from a corporate perspective. It has become imperative to better manage mobile devices to enable businesses to react quicker to mobile security threats, and Mobile Device Management (MDM) has become an important part of a comprehensive endpoint security management solution.
MDM offers functionality such as remote wipe capabilities so that devices can be wiped of all company-related information or completely reset to factory default if they are lost or stolen. It also enables enhanced access control and identity management on top of multi-factor authentication by detecting which network you are connecting from, the MAC address, and your IP address, and comparing this to standard behaviours to flag anything outside of these parameters.
Effective and comprehensive IT security has never been more important, but it has also never been more complex. Many businesses simply do not have the capacity to take on an in-house IT security team, which means MSSPs are the ideal partner to help mitigate a variety of security threats, including mobile risks. MSSPs can provide guidance on the next best steps for securing the mobile device environment as well as in developing detailed and comprehensive BYOD policies.
They can also provide services pertaining to continuous monitoring and improvement, vulnerability assessments, device scanning, best practice configuration for MDM, endpoint security, and enforcement of the policies around BYOD. Should a device be compromised, they can provide the necessary capacity and skill set required, to ensure organisations can encrypt and remotely wipe the device, following best practices to ensure that access to company data and networks remains secure.
In addition, expert MSSPs offer comprehensive and continuous security awareness training that can prove vital in combatting mobile security threats effectively. Organisations can have the latest and best technologies in place and the most comprehensive policies, but humans will always remain the weakest link.
To effectively address evolving security threats, ongoing awareness and education are critical to changing the culture around how we perceive and handle the risks. A security mindset needs to become second nature to reduce risk around mobile and portable devices, and all other areas of IT security management.