Mobile Device Security: Your Cell Phone is Increasingly Targeted by Hackers

Here’s a disturbing statistic that should scare anyone using a mobile device. Based on research conducted by cybersecurity researchers at Proofpoint, there has been a staggering 500% increase in malware attacks against mobile devices during the opening months of 2022. The most significant peak so far this year occurred at the end of February.

There are several categories of malware that infects phones:

• The majority of the malware that targets mobile devices will likely be of the type that quietly crawls through your phone and steals usernames and passwords. Malware that steals your account information can be devastating in the longer term. Hackers can use the stolen information to steal your identity, drain your accounts, max out your credit cards, and more.
• Ransomware malware which encrypts all the files on your phone and demand a ransom is still uncommon, although there are currently some malware strains that do this and this trend is expected to continue to grow over time.
• Other malware strains are designed to take screenshots or track your location over time.

There are three primary paths hackers use to get malware onto a target Android or iOS device.

• The first and the most common is to poison an app and get it placed on either the Apple Store or the Google Play Store. From there, users will download and install it while completely unaware that they have also installed malware.
• SMS texts are another popular avenue of attack, which is why security professionals warn users against tapping links in text messages. These may be harmless from a friend of yours or may have been put there by a hacker pretending to be your friend. When you tap the link, you’re taken to a poisoned website which installs malware in the background.
• Finally, there’s email. By now everyone has heard the dire warnings against clicking on links embedded in email messages or opening file attachments. This applies whether you’re reading your mail on your phone or your PC.

The bottom line is that you are increasingly a target whether you’re on your PC or your phone. So be very vigilant at all times.

Managed IT Professionals advises all businesses to have a multi-layered approach to cybersecurity covering their network and all devices, especially since having a traditional anti-virus program is no longer enough in this day and age. Next generation solutions have emerged to combat the ever increasing hacker threat. This should include strong managed endpoint protection, Managed Detection & Response (MDR), a Managed Next Generation Firewall, Encrypted DNS and good email protection.

Another very important aspect of protecting your business from cyber threats is to ensure that all company employees are receiving cyber security awareness training on a regular basis. Especially considering that over 90% of all successful breaches happen because of human error. And let’s not forget backup and disaster recovery, this is a critical must have service which will save the day in the event of a ransomware attack or any other disaster which caused a loss of data. When equipped with proper backups, a business can recover from a ransomware attack in minutes.

If you would like to know how to secure your business against ransomware, malware and hackers, feel free to contact Managed IT Professionals and receive a free, no-obligation, consultation which will include our expert advice on the best steps your business should take to increase it’s cyber security posture and stay safe in these dangerous times.