The partnership between mobile devices and the corporate world has been well established. Smartphones, tablets and applications are creating new business opportunities and improving overall operations. However, the security of these devices continues to be a major concern of IT departments and the reasons for it are justifiable.
A recent report from security firm McAfee examined the state of cyber crime over the last quarter. According to the numbers, after decreasing earlier in the year, the prevalence of mobile malware has jumped, with 17,000 new versions detected in the last three months.
"The fuzzy line between your computer and your cellphone is almost blasted away at this point in time," said Adam Wosotowsky, a messaging-data architect at McAfee. "Previously, if you were to infect somebody's phone, you were going to make money by premium SMS or premium phone calls. Now, we're actually seeing banking fraud occurring to your phone because they're basically little computers."
As employees use their mobile devices for more than just sending messages and checking email, they become sweeter targets for thieves who are looking to steal data.
One of the biggest offenders are unofficial app stores that users log into. While these marketplaces are filled with both popular and obscure applications, they are also home to ones that have been designed solely to infect your mobile device and steal information.
Any company that is interested in implementing mobile devices into their daily operations would be wise to partner with an IT consulting firm that specializes in securely incorporating the gadgets.
