5 ways to protect your mobile devices from malware while in the field!

Protecting your mobile devices from malware is imperative

According to Kaspersky, some of the top mobile security threats in 2020 are data leakage, unsecured Wi-Fi networks and phishing attacks. Additionally, more organizations have adopted a bring-your-own-device policy with regards to mobile devices. Protecting these devices is paramount. In particular for service technicians in the field who handle sensitive data on a daily basis.

But what is malware?

Malware is any type of malicious software designed to harm or exploit any programmable device, service or network. There are various forms of malware, including: viruses, scareware, worms, spyware, trojans, adware, fileless malware, and ransomware. A study from the University of Cambridge suggests that 87% of all Android smartphones are exposed to at least one critical vulnerability, while other operating systems hold their own threats.

Fortunately, there are many ways service technicians and organizations can protect themselves from mobile malware.

1. Keep device operating systems up to date - Users must constantly update their operating systems. Without updating your operating systems, your device is vulnerable to potential malware.
2. Educate and train employees - The best way to protect employees against malware is by educating and training them. Once employees understand the threats that exist, they can also learn how to protect themselves against it.
3. Install anti-malware on mobile devices - There is anti-malware software that field technicians can install on their mobile devices to protect themselves against malware threats.
4. Install apps from reliable sources - When installing apps, downloading them from a reliable source lowers the chances of your mobile device getting infected by malware.
5. Consider using private networks, such as a VPN - At times using unsecured Wi-Fi networks opens the possibility of data breach. Using secure Wi-Fi networks, such as VPN’s enables users to use reliable Wi-Fi networks.

Learn more at www.expandit.com.

Written by John Macdonald, Group CSO and Regional President North America, ExpandIT