Today, there are many reasons why mobile devices are becoming a greater target, some reasons include more and more mobile devices are being used, more and more people are downloading apps that gather personal information to gain access to confidential information, many users are unaware of the risks involved in having an outdated device and/or just not updating the apps installed on it. The convenience of just having a mobile phone to do most of the things a computer can do is just the best invention yet, but is it really??
The reason mobile devices are a major target in society today is because more and more people are using them for banking purposes and since cybercriminals know that mobile devices are less secure than laptops and PC’s, they are better able to target end-users (people) and their banking information. Cybercriminals are tracking your money and stealing malicious content to gain access to your financial, login and bank account information.
Since, mobile phones lack security features such as firewall, anti-malware and encryption capabilities and many end-users do not perform updates on their operating system and/or apps that have privacy control, end-users are putting themselves at a greater risk.
Android users are at an even greater risk because cyber criminals are forming Android malware with advanced evasion tactics that reduce the detection of malware. For example: some of the malware used in Androids only function when motion sensors detect device movement, which then allows cybercriminals to prevent being detected. Other types of malware allow Androids to turn off their Google Protection in order to steal financial information from end-users. Another example with Android devices is that the low-end Android devices come with pre-installed software called Triada and it causes very nasty types of malware to take control of the end-user’s device.
Primary concerns with mobile device and security:
Data Leakage:
Data leakage is one of the primary concerns with mobile device. Data leakage allows one to download apps from platforms that come from unknown sources. To prevent this one should only download apps from an authorized app store and never click on links within messages.
Unsecure internet connections:
Using an unsecured internet connection is another concern with mobile phones. More than 400,000 cyber scams are created through unsecured wifi connection every year. Free hotspots also carry a major risk because malicious hackers are able to gain information from a device using the free hotspot.
Network Spoofing:
Network spoofing is a concern that allows malicious hackers to set-up fake access points that look legit. The fake access point then allows malicious hackers to intercept the data moving within the connection to make fake conversations, send phishing links and/or steal data. Using a trusted internet service will help reduce this kind of threat to mobile devices and other devices as well.
Phishing:
Phishing is yet, another type of concern with mobile devices, one should avoid clicking on unknown links embedded (inside) of a text or email to prevent information from being stolen.
Spyware:
Finally, yet importantly spyware is another concern with mobile devices. Spyware allows malicious attackers to keep track of your device and activity. Using an anti-virus and anti-malware will allow for the detection of spyware and help reduce these types of threats.
Overall, mobile devices will forever be a target unless end-user’s use a holistic approach to keep their device(s) protected. The holistic approach includes keeping the device(s) operating system up-to-date, only installing apps from the trusted app store of the device, not clicking on links within the text or email, using an anti-virus protection on the mobile device, using trusted wifi connections and not the free hotspots or access points. Reduce the usage of mobile device activity with banking and shopping and use a more secure laptop or PC instead.
Resources:
MillerOnCyber 
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