Marshall & Sterling Insurance September 2016 | Page 4

September 2016

Keeping Mobile
Electrical Safety
Devices Safe From in the
Hacking
Workplace
Hackers can gain access
to your information
through common
vulnerabilities.

Even a small amount
of electricity in an
outlet can lead to an
electrocution.

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Keeping Mobile Devices Safe From Hacking
As smartphones and other mobile devices have
advanced and added conveniences for users,
they have also become more susceptible to cyber
attacks. And, if you don’t take steps to protect the
personal or work information on your devices,
you could be exposed to considerable risks.
A hacker can attack a smartphone or other
mobile device without the owner’s knowledge and
gain access to his or her messages, contacts,
emails and even his or her location, based on
GPS data. Additionally, individual cyber attacks
are beginning to exponentially increase in
frequency. Although a few years ago hackers
mainly targeted retailers and health care
organizations, they now see individuals as a key
target.
To protect the information on your devices, you
need to know the main vulnerabilities that
hackers can exploit to their advantage:
•

Malicious apps: Many apps ask for
more access to your device than is
required. When you download an app,
make sure to check how much access it
has, and that the app has been made by
a reputable developer.

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© 2016 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.

Additionally, always download an app
from your device manufacturer’s official
store. Apps downloaded from a website
or mobile link are much more likely to
contain malicious code.
•

Unsecured networks: Hackers can use
public Wi-Fi and other unsecured
networks to see all of your internet
usage. Avoid using public networks
when possible, and disconnect from a
network immediately if your device
prompts you with an insecure network
notification.

•

Outdated operating systems (OSs): If
your device is running an outdated OS,
it isn’t receiving new security measures
from the device manufacturer. Any
mobile device that runs on an outdated
OS will be exposed to more high-risk
vulnerabilities as it becomes more
outdated. Frequently check your device
for updates, and install them as soon as
possible.

Hackers can
use malicious
apps,
unsecured
networks or a
vulnerability in
an outdated OS
to access any
of the
information on
a mobile
device.

Marshall & Sterling
Cyber Center