Top 5 mobile device threats & how to prevent them

Security threats to mobile devices are increasing daily, but many people are oblivious to the risks.

Here are the top five threats to mobile devices:

1. Phishing Attacks use deceptive sites or software that mascaraed as legitimate ones to steal user information like login credentials and credit card numbers.
2. Malware Infections can steal data and eat up computing resources from mobile devices. They can trick users into taking actions that further compromise their devices.
3. Advanced Persistent Threats are coordinated network attacks hackers use to gain access to your network and data. These can be undetected for a long time.
4. Untested Mobile Apps are vulnerable to exploitation. The primary reason for this is that some users tend to install apps from third-party sources instead of downloading them from regulated app stores.
5. Outdated Operating Systems are a must to patch the vulnerabilities, but most users do not keep their mobile OS up-to-date. They tend to ignore or block updates. It compromises their mobile device security and leaves their devices vulnerable to malware and other threats.

To prevent these threats:

1. Avoiding connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi networks, such as public Wi-Fi hotspots.
2. Downloading apps from trusted sources, such as the Google Play Store and iOS App store, and not from unreliable third-party sources.
3. Being wary of unsolicited calls or messages.
4. Mitigating mobile device attacks from penetrating the corporate environment by providing controls to secure, manage and monitor all the employee-owned mobile devices that access critical business data.

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