Our phones contain a great deal of personal information. Consider all the financial information, personal messages, banking apps, photos, and contact information that reside behind that the little glass screen.
And if your team uses phones for work, they will frequently have direct access to company systems such as email, contact lists, network access, and file systems. As a result, if they are not kept as secure as any other device in your workplace, they can become a major vulnerability in your cyber security.
Of course, criminals are aware of this, which is why they target us through our phones as well as our networks and servers.
However, cybercrime is not the only source of concern. Simply losing or having your phone stolen can put your data at risk.
So, whether you provide company smartphones or your employees use their own, you should ensure that everyone follows some basic security precautions to protect your data and avoid disaster.
Begin by ensuring that your employees set up a PIN and a biometric login (such as a fingerprint or face scan) to open the device.
Install apps only from trusted sources to ensure you’re running genuine software.
Also, enable Multi-Factor Authentication on all apps that store any sensitive data.
Take care where you connect to Wi-Fi. Consider using a VPN – a Virtual Private Network – to add another layer of security if you work remotely or frequently connect to public networks. On a public network, you never know who is watching your traffic.
Finally, ALWAYS ensure that your phone is running the most recent version of its operating system and that all apps are up to date.
Smartphones have changed how we live – at home and at work – but it is all too easy to take them for granted. That could be a costly error.
If you need help to keep your smartphones safe, just get in touch.