July 27, 2015

Mobile Apps Are a Major Gateway for Hackers

A recent report in Forbes highlights the struggles IT security personnel are having with the deluge of insecure mobile apps which are permeating today’s work environments. Global Digital Forensics offers security solutions to help organizations stem the tide.

On June 20th, Forbes published an article which offers some good food for thought about what mobile applications in the workplace mean for information security today, with one big takeaway being that far too few mobile users are connecting the dots that their personal mobile habits could have dire consequences for the organizations they work for. It’s time mobile apps and mobile devices move way up the board on potential security threats to businesses, and Global Digital Forensics has solutions that can help.

The blurry line between personal and professional computing

“It’s only been a few years since IT security personnel didn’t have to give a second thought to personal mobile devices as a threat to an organization’s cyber security posture, but those days are a fading memory now,” says Joe Caruso, founder and CEO/CTO of Global Digital Forensics (GDF), a premier national provider of cyber security solutions and digital forensics services headquartered in New York City, “and with even more personal computing devices and apps breaking into the market, the problem of controlling and securing digital assets and sensitive data is not going to get any easier any time soon. And don’t be fooled, it’s not just millennials, users from every age group are hooked on mobile computing and the app craze these days. Further complicating matters is the increasing use of popular, free and easy-to-use cloud-based online data storage sites like Dropbox which are popular ways to keep data at hand across multiple platforms, and the potential security headaches associated with comingling personal and professional files and data outside of the organization’s control are also important factors that must be seriously considered and monitored.”

“It should be crystal clear that stomping out potential security holes related to mobile devices and associated apps is not a problem that will likely be solved by trying to simply remove them from the equation. With so many individuals now using mobile apps and more and more companies turning to apps to increase worker productivity and enhance their clients’ online accessibility and experience, the potential for bad things to happen on the data security front is certainly not only plausible, but probable,” warns Caruso. “Another big problem is that there are an awful lot of people who have experienced being hacked or infected with a virus on their smartphones through the countless insecure apps that are readily available, and that means there is also a very good chance they will be a great delivery method for hackers to infiltrate the company network as well.”

Assessing, Testing, Building Awareness and Emergency Incident Response

“The best way to deal with the threats posed by now prevalent BYOD practices, and the other peripheral issues like cloud-based data storage, is by reshaping the organization’s cyber security posture to keep up with the newest trends in technology and user behavior, because relying on yesterday’s assessments, methods, policies and procedures will leave you exposed and vulnerable today,” says Caruso. “At GDF, we’ve been helping clients protect their most valuable digital assets and data for many years by providing cutting-edge cyber security solutions. Our network vulnerability assessment protocols are constantly being updated to include the newest trends and threats. Our comprehensive penetration testing framework is always being refined to simulate what hackers are doing in the real-world, right now today, from the newest techniques and malware, to full simulations of sophisticated spear phishing campaigns, the number one delivery method for advanced attacks. We work hand in hand with our clients through every step of the process, from identification all the way through remediation, including helping them significantly improve user awareness on today’s cyber threats on an organizational level, because without addressing the human element, everything else is just an exercise, not a solution. And if the unthinkable has already happened, like a data breach or cyber intrusion, we have emergency incident response teams strategically positioned across the country and worldwide who are on call 24/7 to respond to any cyber emergency. In most cases, we can even start the remediation process remotely, which means immediately.”

*Global Digital Forensics is a recognized industry leader in the fields of computer forensics, cyber security and emergency incident response, with years of experience assisting clients in the government, banking, healthcare, education and corporate arenas. For a free consultation with a Global Digital Forensics specialist, call 1-800-868-8189 about tailoring a cost-effective plan which will meet your unique needs, without wasting resources on solutions you simply don’t need. Emergency responders are also standing by 24/7 to handle intrusion and data breach emergencies whenever and wherever they arise. Time is critical if a cyber incident has occurred, so don’t hesitate to get help. For more information, visit our cyber security page.

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