Making Your Mobile Devices Safe From Cyberattacks: The 9 Best Practices

The reality is, mobile devices are less safe than desktop computers. Boosting security on such devices is essential if you use them in business. 

Technological breakthroughs have streamlined your operations in several ways. Primarily, you can now use mobile devices to make your communication and data sharing more convenient.

But this technological advancement also means that information on your team members’ mobile devices is no longer limited to just phone numbers and contacts. They now contain much more significant data, such as emails, passwords, and other account details.

That’s why here at “Callow and Company” we believe in keeping those mobile devices secure is key to shielding your reputation and minimizing the risk of losing money.

Unfortunately, the protection of tablets and smartphones against cyberattacks isn’t as robust as that of desktops and laptops. Anti-malware applications may be present, but they’re not as powerful as their computer counterparts. In addition, many devices don’t support certain measures and applications that companies develop to enhance business security.

Fortunately, you can still implement robust safety measures to protect your smartphones and tablets.

This article will cover the nine best practices in improving cybersecurity on mobile devices.

THE NINE PRACTICES

PRACTICE #1 – ESTABLISH A SOUND SECURITY POLICY

Before issuing tablets or smartphones to your teams, create an effective usage policy. Define rules about acceptable use and determine the penalties for violating them.

Your employees must be aware of the security risks and measures that can help them reduce the risks. They should know that they are the first line of defense against cybercrime.

Furthermore, be sure to develop a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy if you permit your team to use a personal device for business. Your company policy can include the following:

  • Requirements for the installation and remote software wiping on any personal device that stores or accesses company data
  • Employee training and education on safeguarding company information when using wireless networks on their mobile devices
  • Data protection methods that include automatic locking or other security measures applicable after long inactivity periods
  • Protocols for lost and stolen devices
  • The use of security software and antivirus platforms
  • Backup requirements

PRACTICE #2 – ENSURE THE OPERATING SYSTEM IS UP TO DATE

Updating Android and iOS operating systems improves overall user experience, but their most significant role is in addressing security vulnerabilities.

Therefore, install updates as soon as the developer rolls them out to reduce exposure to cybersecurity threats. Delaying it may give criminals enough time to attack your weaknesses and take advantage of outdated operating systems.

 

PRACTICE #3 – ENABLE PASSWORD PROTECTION

A complex password or PIN can help prevent cybercriminals from accessing mobile devices. Besides using alphanumeric combinations, you can also use facial or fingerprint recognition, depending on what suits your employees.

If you opt for digits and letters, don’t share the combination with people outside your company. On top of that, be sure that your staff doesn’t store them on their phones. Unmarked folders and physical wallets are a much safer option.

PRACTICE #4 – INSTALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS ONLY

Lenient download policies can allow your team members to install non-business apps. Downloading such apps might seem harmless, but they are also infamous for their harmful advertising codes and many other threats.

To mitigate this risk, tell your employees they can only download and use apps necessary for their roles.

PRACTICE #5 – AVOID PUBLIC WI-FI CONNECTIONS

Your team may need to use public Wi-Fi networks in emergencies to send crucial emails or schedule a meeting. However, connecting to such networks can expose confidential company information to cybercriminals using the same network.

The easiest way to minimize this risk is to provide a high-quality internet plan that features roaming services for your remote workers.

But if there’s no way to avoid public Wi-Fi connections, a reputable virtual private network (VPN) or secure global network (SGN) may do the trick. It can help shield your data by creating direct, secure links from your location to the intended website.

PRACTICE #6 – LEVERAGE PHONE TRACKING

Losing company-issued mobile devices is unfortunate, but it’s not the end of the world.

Enabling Android Phone Tracker, Find My Phone on iOS, or other device-tracking software can help locate your lost smartphones. Some programs also enable you to remove data on your stolen devices remotely.

Installing these apps takes a couple of minutes and gives you much-needed peace of mind. With it, even if your staff loses their mobile device, cybercriminals are less likely to get their hands on the content.

PRACTICE #7 – INCORPORATE MDM (MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE)

For even more security, you may want to integrate with reliable MDM. It’s an excellent way to separate personal and business information while allowing your team members to set up robust security measures on their devices.

In most cases, cloud-based software is the most affordable, flexible, and manageable type of MDM. Many platforms let you check out device information, update and manage apps, configure your devices, create usage restrictions, and remove content remotely.

If possible, implement MDM software that enforces security measures across all devices. As previously mentioned, this can include data encryption, strong passwords, and setting up containers to separate personal information from enterprise data.

PRACTICE #8 – SCREEN MESSAGES CAREFULLY

Cybercriminals frequently employ SMS phishing to trick your team into clicking dangerous links. They pose as someone credible, asking your staff to share confidential information.

If your employees encounter such messages, they should delete them or alert the IT department. here at “Callow and Company” we recommend avoiding opening the SMS and blocking the sender.

PRACTICE #9 – BLOCKING AND WHITELISTING

Many threats can compromise your company due to employee errors. For example, a team member may not realize they’re downloading a malicious app that allows thieves to steal data from their mobile devices.

Blocking and whitelisting can enable you to protect your employees from these risks by determining which sites and apps are safe.

On one hand, blocking certain applications can give your IT department peace of mind and alert them when someone tries to access those applications.

On the other hand, whitelists can work great for highlighting the tools your team should prioritize over social media and games.

DON’T DROP YOUR GUARD

Securing your desktop computers and laptops only is a disaster waiting to happen.

Your employees may still use their mobile devices to send emails and share sensitive information. That’s why shielding them from cybercriminals should be your top priority.

So, develop a strict usage policy and follow other recommended practices to make your team’s smartphones and tablets virtually impervious to data theft. We recommend these practices to our customers in the Dallas, Ft. Worth area.

Get in touch with us today for even more cybersecurity tips. We can schedule a non-salesy chat to help you identify and address any potential security risks.

The article was used with permission from The Technology Press.

We all have one, I’ll show you mine

Much like opinions or certain body parts

In today’s modern infrastructure we all have a router, let’s see what we can find out.

Backstory

I’m always thinking of ways to keep ransomware away from my customers and while I was pondering this article I thought why not ask my router some questions. Since that’s the first place our outside internet connection comes from.

The Interview

ME:
Hey, Router what do you do for me?
ROUTER: I take your single internet connection and share it among your devices so everyone can have internet access. router
ME:
Since you’re my first link to the outside world why don’t you do more to protect me? Wouldn’t that make sense and save me from having a million things about security to remember?
ROUTER: That does sound logical, but I’ve been a loyal member of your infrastructure for years. Remember? I was there back in 2015 when the power was out. I was lonely, but when it was over, I was there. How about in 2013 when we first met? You were so happy to have WiFi and me an “all-in-one router”, we loved each other. Router
ME:
Sure, I remember some good times. But, criminals have gotten smarter and I must have modern protection to keep up with modern threats, so how about protecting me better?
ROUTER: I’m doing my best here, it’s not easy keeping a steady flow, keeping the data conversations going to the right device. You don’t need anything else, we’re family. Router
ME:
Let’s face it, you don’t have the right skills. I need a modern solution to keep up with modern threats.
ROUTER:  Could we Talk about something else, I really don’t understand what you’re talking about. Besides, I have other things to do right now. Router

Even the router agrees, it cannot protect us in the modern workplace. We need much better protection.

So, I researched. Here’s the thought process…

My considerations:

  • Easy to manage
  • Provides immediate protection
  • Provides ongoing protection
  • Is easy for customers to obtain, and has a great ROI
Product Comparison
Comparison List (click to download)

My choice

I chose WatchGuard because they not only check all the boxes but allow customers to obtain the device and pay monthly for service protection and subscription. This allows customers to get the right device at a reduced cost that could otherwise be cost-prohibitive. Plus, ongoing protection is included (one of the most important parts of ongoing protection). Skip keeping the subscription active and that could leave you inadvertently unprotected.

Besides, WatchGuard devices come in a variety of solutions. This means a device can be uniquely configured specifically for customers’ network needs.

WatchGuard Products
WatchGuard Products

Layers of protection

We need Unified Threat Management for modern threats and layered protection. My job is offering the best solutions for keeping your business continuity protected.

Call me and let’s replace your router with a firewall

Want more information? Give me a call. I’m always happy to help. 972.571.4808

Breaking Up

The moment you realize you are not alone

Some years back when I first started setting up my first web servers. I built a domain server, a website server, an email server, and a database server. Everything was running smoothly. Then after about one month or so, I came into the office and looked over at the server monitor and noticed the mouse moving across the screen. I thought, “What’s going on?”. There were a couple of menu’s being clicked. Then it hit me, I’ve been hacked!

My first emotion was anger after all these are my machines, I spent many, many hours getting them configured just right. This was a big lesson for me. Instead of assuming that everyone is nice, and everyone respects your space that doesn’t mean anything when you put yourself out there on the internet. People will just hack, hold your work for ransom. Why, because you didn’t think that would happen to you.

I’ve had many, many calls when someone has come to work after a weekend, or a holiday suddenly something is just not the way it should be, or after an innocent restart there’s now ransomware.

Sure, some break-ups are hard to do, but this decision should be an easy one this time.

How can we protect ourselves?

Well, as I found out you have to be proactive about it. You have to make sure every machine that accesses the internet (and especially servers) have had every single patch/update installed all the time, then make sure you have a very good anti-virus, anti-spam, and a good firewall. Then make sure that the virus software runs daily, scans continuously and make sure you check each machine daily, weekly and monthly. Test your backups by restoring them to a physical or virtual machines, you don’t want a backup failing when you need it.

That’s just too much time, how can I do my job if I have to do this on all my employees’ machines?

Well, you certainly would find the time, if you got ransomware at a price of about 15 bitcoins ($45,000 dollars) or you’d certainly feel bad if you had the opportunity to do something and didn’t.

We offer “Managed Services” to help you as much as possible to avoid the bad guys

Our managed service plans offer several layers of protection. In every case when we start a new managed service customer the machines have been unpatched and unprotected with on average 50 or more needed security patches. In addition, anti-virus is non-existent, isn’t scanning on a regular basis or its freeware.

Neil was right, breaking up is hard to do

Sure, some break-ups are hard to do, but we need to break up with the hackers. This decision should be an easy one this time (a no-brainer). Want to know how much your outage would cost? We can tell you. Call us for a personal outage cost comparison you’ll be surprised. We’re waiting to help you.

So, what happened to the hacked server?

Well, I immediately unplugged it from the network and restarted it. It would not start, the hacker had done his job. I spend the next 70 hours straight (with just a few 1/2 hour naps), getting the email server back online. I make sure things are up to date, patched and cared for every minute now and you should too.