Four vulnerabilities difficult
to identify through traditional
security measures include:
#1: WI-FI MAN-IN-THE-
MIDDLE ATTACKS
Imagine you’re in a hotel lobby, using
the facility’s complementary Wi-Fi
on your phone. Another lobby guest
appears to be doing the same but is
actually hosting a Wi-Fi access point
that resembles the network—a Wi-Fi
“pineapple.” You connect to this
middle-man network, giving the owner
access to all of your data. Without
a mobile data security solution, this
common threat is undetectable.
#2: MALICIOUS APPLICATIONS
In 2019, Lookout found that 1.4% of
enterprise mobile users encountered an
app threat, including viruses, Trojans,
spyware, or ransomware. This type of
malware damages devices and steals
data—two issues mobile security
software effectively addresses. Once
installed, the software does an initial
scan to assess what issues may already
lie dormant on the device. The end-user
is then provided this information and
prompted to easily remedy bad actors.
#3 VULNERABILITIES IN
YOUR OPERATING SYSTEM
More often than you might suspect, a
phone’s OS is intrinsically vulnerable
to attacks due to its pre-programmed
policies. Once installed, mobile
security software helps detect, identify,
and overcome these vulnerabilities.
#4: ANTI-PHISHING
Today, mobile users have to worry
about phishing in many areas: text
messages, social media, e-mail, and
web browsing. While suspicious
e-mails or messages are typically
easier to detect, in some circumstances
(such as URLs), there is virtually
no way for users to detect a threat
without security software.
Of the four threats listed, phishing
is the most challenging and the
greatest threat. In 2019, globally 15.2
percent of enterprise mobile users
encountered phishing incidents. It
is one of the biggest cybersecurity
issues of the year—especially
for mobile devices, since it is not
typically addressed by common
security software applications.
This is partially due to the fact that
mobile phishing is difficult to identify
and remediate. You can’t hover over
a link to check its destination as
you can with a laptop or a desktop
computer. Messages tend to be
more targeted and personalized.
At Lookout, we are passionate
about providing a cloud-based,
mobile endpoint security solution
structured around a straight-forward
philosophy: to empower users
with the data they need to make
informed security decisions.
Whether deployed on enterprise-
issued devices or in BYOD situations,
we have the ability to protect against
mobile device vulnerabilities without
compromising employee privacy.
When intruders are detected, threats
can be communicated without
disclosing which apps the employee
is using, protecting the device, the
employee, and the company.
In essence, mobile security
is a “greenfield.” It’s an area
without limits and boundaries
that we can define against our
enterprise’s requirements.
Bob Stevens will participate in the
Jan. 9th CES Government Executive
Roundtable “Advanced Technologies
In Fighting Crime, Terrorism And
Protecting The Homeland”
MEET BOB STEVENS
Bob Stevens heads up Lookout’s
Federal team, the focus of which is
to provide mobile threat visibility
and protection to federal agencies,
across
military,
civilian
and
intelligence sectors. Bob has more
than 25 years experience building
federal businesses, teams, and
go-to market strategies. Prior to
joining Lookout, Bob led Symantec
Federal, a $275M operation with
over 100 team members. He also
led the development of Juniper
Networks
Federal
Systems,
growing it to $120M in just six
years. Bob has also held leadership
positions at Network Equipment
Technologies, Bivio Networks, and
Brocade Communications. Before
entering the private sector, Bob
served in the United States Air
Force as an engineer at the White
House Communications Agency.
Bob is an avid golfer and loves
cycling, running, boating, and
camping.