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Showing posts with label The security risks of BYOD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The security risks of BYOD. Show all posts

Saturday, October 4, 2014

The security risks of BYOD

Today, we can work where we want, with millions of us using smartphones, tablets and laptops accessing public Wi-Fi to keep abreast of the latest goings on at work, to shoot off urgent emails and send files. But have you ever asked yourself whether the Wi-Fi network you use in that coffee shop, in that restaurant or airport to conduct your work, is secure? The Telegraph recently reported figures from online security firm ZoneAlarm that 64 per cent of Brits are not concerned about connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi, and a massive 85 per cent of us still use public Wi-Fi without taking the right security measures. Those are alarming figures, but why do we play Russian roulette with not only sensitive company data, but that of our own private and confidential information?

When using public Wi-Fi we open the door to cybercriminals, who can steal data from your device within seconds. That data could include banking details, user names, passwords, highly confidential corporate information, customers personal details, the list goes on.

One thing to remember is that routers can have a range of 100 metres, so although you may be satisfied that everyone in the coffee shop looks ‘normal’ the cyber thief may actually be operating down the road from you. There are a number of ways how you can stop your data on your device from getting into the wrong hands, for example, verify with the coffee shop or hotel staff what the correct network connection name is. It’s imperative to know it’s a genuine connection, as many cybercriminals setup fake hotspots, waiting for you to connect to their network. Using a legitimate coffee shop Wi-Fi is one step in the right direction, but thieves can still attack hotspots as they provide no data encryption.The scary thing is that you won’t even know that you’re being hacked as there are no warning signs, no alarm bells.

More and more, small businesses are being targeted by cyber thieves. Why? Well, there are a number of reasons, but perhaps the biggest one, is that the majority of small businesses take little to no security measures to protect and secure their business, making them a honey pot to cyber thieves. Another reason they favour small businesses is because many of them have larger clients on their books, so they see them as a stepping stone to a bigger meal ticket down the road.

If you don’t beef up your business security, you could end up decimating your client business relationships, or worse still, end up losing your business. According to an article in PC World “one in five small businesses falls victim to cybercrime each year. And of those, 60 percent go out of business within six months after an attack.”

Another security issue of using public hotspots is that cyber thieves can also transmit malware on your device when you’ve connected to it. BAE systems Applied Intelligence telecoms sector director Rajiv Shah Telecoms told Arnnet.com “If an employee then connects a compromised device to the corporate network this can be a backdoor route to let a determined criminal mount an even wider-ranging attack.”

Lack of security in your business is a big concern, but fortunately there are security steps you can take, one of which is to purchase a VPN – of course HMA! Pro VPN, which will give your company a solid layer of protection when using devices at public hotspots. When you use a VPN on your smartphone, laptop or tablet all your data is encrypted, cyber thieves and hackers cannot steal any of your personal information, your ISP cannot see what you get up to online; and your government cannot snoop on your online activities.

Others security measures you can take include installing anti-virus software on all your devices, use secure passwords, not only on your laptops, smartphones, but on your network Wi-Fi, and backup your files and data as a safety precaution.

With more and more Wi-Fi hot spots popping up around the globe comes the increase of Wi-Fi hacking. Taking the right steps to protect your data is crucial if you want your business to survive. Remember, educating yourself and your employees about the dangers of using public Wi-Fi could save you $$$’s or, even your business!

Click here to find out more about HMA! Pro VPN.