Can You Secure Your Mobile Network Now?

As enterprises mobilize business processes, more and more sensitive information passes through and resides on mobile devices. BlackBerry, a virtual grandfather in the handheld devices world, offers chief information officers (CIOs) an idea of what they’re up against when attempting to ensure the security of data flying through cyberspace.

According to a Verizon survey conducted this year, 85 percent of respondents said their businesses face at least moderate risk from mobile security threats, and 26 percent considered the threat significant. The survey also revealed that despite the dangers, nearly a third of organizations are sacrificing security for expediency. In addition, 27 percent admitted that their company experienced a security incident in which mobile devices played a key role in the past year that caused data loss or system downtime.

In its recent white paper, “A Mobile Security Checklist: The Top 10 Enterprise Mobility Security Threats Today,” security experts from BlackBerry identify some of the threats, giving organizations and individuals a clear picture of what they’re up against. By reviewing and answering several dozen thought-provoking questions in 10 categories, CIOs can dig deeply into the current status of their mobile ecosystem and determine the steps they need to take to secure data.

Mobile device control tops the threat list. Among the topics security professionals need to review are procedures for lost or stolen devices, password protection policies and resilience capabilities.

In addition to protecting the mobile devices, BlackBerry experts say information security personnel must make sure to protect documents. This effort must include a means for controlling files when they go beyond the firewall.

Following established policies also is key to mobile device security. Employees must know and understand tricks of the hacker trade, such as social engineering, as well as the organization’s expectations for keeping data secure when using mobile devices.

In a world where there’s almost always “an app for that,” CIOs must know how to keep rogue apps and malware at bay, according to BlackBerry experts. The ability to run a quick check at any time to make sure that all the apps in use are authorized is one capability they should have, the experts recommend.

Mobile communications enable everyone to work from virtually everywhere. However, this capability means that employees’ work and personal lives are constantly intertwined, a fact of life that requires information security managers to be able to prevent data leakage across multiple devices.

The white paper includes five additional topics CIOs should be reviewing to ensure their organizations’ mobile platforms are secure, including ensuring data security at rest and in transit and controlling authentication.

Learn more from the experts at BlackBerry in one of the latest additions to the SIGNAL Resource Library.