Cyber Defense eMagazine January Edition for 2022

Why Hackers Attack Mobile Devices and How to Prevent
It
By Nicole Allen, Marketing Executive at Salt Communications
According to a Gallup poll, the frequency of remote work cyber-attacks has nearly doubled since the
beginning of the pandemic. Employees were thrown into a world of remote work immediately, utilising a
wide variety of cloud-based software and apps. With the need to adapt so quickly, many businesses have
been left unprepared in terms of their cybersecurity protection.
Businesses may not understand that in many cases their weakest link is their mobile security. To gain
access to a company's whole network, a cybercriminal only has to break into one unprotected mobile
device (phone, laptop, or tablet).
Why it only takes one device
Such intrusions can be crippling to a business. The implications can be vast with an immediate impact
on costs, interrupting operations, jeopardising crucial data assets, and damaging customer relationships.
In reality, when a small business is harmed by a cyber-attack, nearly 60% of those affected are unable
to recover and go out of business within six months.
Employee mobility has transformed the way we do business, but it has also introduced new security
vulnerabilities. Mobile users, on average, spend about 80% of their time outside of the protected business
network, accessing the internet from places other than the office or company locations. With this
increased mobility, far too many devices are left vulnerable to more sophisticated hacking techniques –
especially when enterprise IT departments fail to deploy mobile device security fixes and upgrades.
Cyber Defense eMagazine – January 2022 Edition 51
Copyright © 2022, Cyber Defense Magazine. All rights reserved worldwide.