Is Working from Your Smartphone Safe? What to Know

Learn how mobile services have become a major cybersecurity risk for businesses and how to protect your companies’ data.

A woman using her mobile phone for work

For many industries, it has become normal for employees to answer calls and emails through their mobile devices. Many companies expect their staff to use personal devices for work purposes. There are many advantages to working from your mobile device, but it has led to a rise in cybercrime targeting mobile devices used for work.

Companies want mobile devices to be used, and employees want to use them. Many employees say using their smartphones makes them more productive at work. However, businesses need to be aware of cybersecurity exposure risks. Remember, smartphones that are not considered part of the company IT infrastructure may still be able to access and leak sensitive company information and may lack cybersecurity measures to keep devices safe.

What your business can do:

  1. Establish Policies
    Create a mobile device policy and establish a formal code of conduct so that your staff understands cyber threats and the company's vulnerabilities.
  2. Educate Your Employees
    Hold your employees responsible for their own mobile device cybersecurity. You can do this by teaching them how to keep their devices secure by using strong passwords and antivirus software. When it comes to malware, the most common factor leading to a cyber-attack is human error. Provide your employees with high-quality cybersecurity training sessions and ensure they are regularly updated.
  3. Limit Data Access
    Limit your employees' access to your business's data so they only have access to the data they need to do their job. This way, if a mobile device is compromised, it alone will not give a cybercriminal complete access to your company’s files.
  4. Reduce the Risk of Working from Home
    Working from home can increase your employees’ productivity and staff morale but can be challenging when it comes to cybersecurity. Be on the lookout for the issue of shadow IT, which refers to apps and software that are used on devices without the IT department knowing about it. If your IT team does not have access to applications on mobile devices, it can lead to corrupted software or applications that can be exploited by cybercriminals.

Mobile devices have an important role for businesses as they are liked by employees and have become essential for business operations. As cybersecurity attacks continue to increase, more must be done to ensure mobile devices are secured in the same way as other technology using your business system.

The information provided in these articles is intended for informational purposes only. It is not to be construed as the opinion of Central Bancompany, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and does not imply endorsement or support of any of the mentioned information, products, services, or providers. All information presented is without any representation, guaranty, or warranty regarding the accuracy, relevance, or completeness of the information.