Mobile devices are everywhere. Figures from 2022 show there were 6.6 billion active smartphone network subscriptions worldwide, with the number forecast to grow to 7.8 billion by 2028. The mobile revolution is over, and many people use a business-supplied smartphone, tablet, or increasingly, a Chromebook device to do work. Not to mention the people who also do work tasks on their own mobile devices via sanctioned BYOD schemes or just because it’s convenient and makes their life easier. Personal mobile use is a significant part of the shadow IT problems organisations must address to reduce their cybersecurity risk.

The Mobile Threat Landscape

This near-universal uptake in mobile devices has not gone unnoticed by cybercriminals. Many cybercriminal gangs actively look for vulnerabilities in iOS, Android, and Chromebook operating systems and devices that run them. They are a tempting target as many of these devices contain extremely sensitive personal and financial information. Plus, many mobile devices are a core part of multi-factor authentication workflows that would be extremely beneficial for attackers to hijack.

Threats that target mobile devices and their users are typically the same as the attack methods we know from desktop and laptop security: malware, phishing and other social engineering attacks, network spoofing attacks, and unsecured WiFi data snooping. For Android and iOS devices, there is also the new issue of malicious apps that masquerade as other popular apps or popular service access apps that trick people into downloading and installing them. Attackers also use Man-in-the-Middle (MiTM) attacks to intercept and redirect traffic from mobile devices to sites that can contain malware or key logging to get login credentials.

In the past few years, Chromebooks have become increasingly popular in the education sector and among task-oriented professions. However, this has also introduced additional security challenges. As Chromebooks can run Android apps, organisations must protect against them attacks targeting the Android operating system.

These attack methods severely threaten mobile device data security and can lead to significant financial losses for organisations under GDPR and other regulatory frameworks.

 

The Need to Implement and Demonstrate Mobile Cybersecurity Protections

Most organisations operate within regulatory frameworks at many levels. They need to protect their data and IT systems and demonstrate to regulators and auditors that adequate protections are in place. This is true for public bodies that need to protect citizens’ data, and for private businesses that need to show their owners or shareholders that they have taken steps to address cyber threats and reduce the risk of financial losses and reputational damage. Part of this has to be the use of mobile threat detection (MTD) solutions.

 

GravityZone Security for Mobile - Strong threat detection for businesses

Built upon Bitdefender’s industry-leading anti-malware and advanced threat intelligence solutions, GravityZone Security for Mobile allows organisations to vet applications, monitor device status, protect against malicious apps, phishing attacks, and other threats to strengthen the mobile security posture. By deploying GravityZone Security for Mobile, you not only increase the protection for your mobile devices, but you can also demonstrate to interested parties that you are actively defending your mobile estate.

Key features and benefits of GravityZone Security for Mobile include:

Powerful Security for Mobile Devices - Advanced anti-malware technologies and real-time threat intelligence to detect malicious apps and vulnerabilities, including both known and zero-day threats. To maintain compliance with designated security policies, businesses can assess mobile applications and monitor mobile endpoints. Additionally, on-device anti-phishing technologies safeguard against phishing attacks without causing any annoyance for users, while web access controls prevent employee access to known compromised or malicious websites.

Network Protection - Protect your mobile estate from network threats such as reconnaissance attempts, weak security connections, and man-in-the-middle attacks. These attacks are often used to get unauthorised access to information systems and intercept multi-factor authentication codes sent to mobile devices. Watch for, detect, and respond to these threats in real-time.

Device Assessment and Protection – It’s essential to regularly check for any vulnerabilities in mobile devices accessing your systems. This includes ensuring that encryption is in use, no jailbreaking or root access are in place that weakens security, and that devices are running the latest security updates.

Integration with Existing Mobile and Enterprise Security Solutions – With GravityZone Security for Mobile, organisations can enhance their security measures beyond traditional endpoint security and manage them centrally from a unified Bitdefender GravityZone console. The mobile security solution works in tandem with an organisation’s existing Mobile Device Management (MDM), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM), Unified Endpoint Management, and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions, making it easy to deploy and provide robust protection for all mobile endpoints as part of the overall cybersecurity big picture.

Deep Visibility for Regulatory Compliance – Companies operating in regulated industries must be aware of the privacy and security status of their employees’ mobile devices and the applications they’re using. GravityZone Security for Mobile offers real-time monitoring to assess app credibility, detect abnormal behaviour in apps, manage application versions, alert users to denied apps, and take precautionary measures such as isolating apps, disabling WiFi/Bluetooth, or removing access when required.

100% Cloud-Based – The GravityZone platform offers cloud-based security that’s simple to deploy and manage for all types of mobile workforces. With zero-touch enrolment, mass deployment of mobile devices can be done without any end-user intervention, delivering a default level of security for employees’ devices.

You can read more about GravityZone Security for Mobile on the Bitdefender website.

Conclusion

Deploying an MTD solution (alongside your MDM solution) is a must due to the current mobile threat landscape and the regulatory environment. GravityZone Security for Mobile is an ideal choice for MSPs looking to extend the protection offered to their customers. See the Bitdefender Partner Advantage Network site for info, and contact Renaissance to discuss how you can include it in your portfolio.