Cyber Security in the Mobile Era KEEPING ENTERPRISE DATA SAFE IN THE BYOD ERA.

Shifting Mobile Landscape-BYOD Environment According to a 2014 survey by Check Point Software Technologies: 93% of employees have mobile devices connected to their network 71% of enterprises believe that the use of personal mobile devices on their networks is leading to increased security incidents 45% of businesses with less than 1000 employees reported mobile security incident costs exceeding $100,000

What Can Be Done? Rather than block access altogether (let’s face it this would never work), companies must learn to embrace the beneficial aspects of the BYOD environment while protecting enterprise data from security threats. This can be done through:  Employee Education  Spreading Awareness of Top Security Risks

Employee Education Existing security training tends to focus around the desktop user because the mobile workforce is still in relative infancy. In order to change this some new policies must be put into place. Education should include:  Information on policies and procedures that are tailored to employee’s specific devices, roles and locations.  Information on who to contact if an employee believes he or she has identified a security threat or risk  Rules for how to best handle confidential information.

Be Aware of Top Threats Many security risks can be dodged using simple common sense. However, being aware of possible risks and taking the necessary precautions to avoid attacks is the best possible way to protect enterprise data. Some Common Risks Include:  Device Loss and Theft: “Maintain the same control over your devices as you would over your credit cards”  Leaky Apps : Implement virus protection and use common sense when clicking through user agreements and purchasing apps in the app store.  Unsafe Network Connectivity and Online Behavior: Ideally only connect to enterprise resources through a corporate firewall. Unsecured Wireless networks make devices more vulnerable to attack and could put an entire organization’s network at risk.