REPORT: 70 Percent of Business Data Loss Stems From Mobile Devices

With the number of breaches constantly on the rise, enterprises are beginning to look at mobile devices as their weak link; and according to a new study, they are looking in the right place.

Android and Apple device hacks are constantly making headlines due to cyber criminals getting their hands dirty, and according to Hypori, these devices can give ransomware-wielding offenders access to enterprise information.

Arming yourself with knowledge of the latest threats is vital to keeping your data safe. Hypori listed a few of the vulnerabilities that have affected mobile devices recently in a blog post:

Name: Apple IO

Number of devices exposed: 100 million

Attack details: The malware was hidden as a malicious payload in an application downloaded from an app store.

Results: Elevated privileges and sensitive info was exposed and secondary attack methods could compromise the device.

Status: Active

Name: Hummingbad

Number of devices exposed: 85 million

Attack details: The malware was hidden as a malicious payload in an application from an app store.

Results: Gains root access giving away control of the device and its contents.

Status: Active

Name: Quadrooter

Number of devices exposed: 900 million

Attack details: Malware takes advantage of the flaws in the firmware of the underlying Qualcomm chip on certain Android phones to gain “root” access.

Status: Active

Name: Pegasus

Number of devices exposed: > 1 billion

Attack details: Receiving an SMS message with a hyperlink and opening it could lead to 3 zero day exploits being executed.

Result: All data on a device can be exfiltrated and the sensors on the device can be used to figure out what the user is doing.

Status: Active

While you may never know if your organization is a target, it’s still important to have the proper platforms in place to protect yourself and your organization. A report from the Ponemon Institute concluded that 70 percent of businesses think that data breaches stem from improper security for mobile devices. And NetEnrich completed a survey that said malware apps were the largest cause of enterprise data loss.

Another key takeaway from NetEnrich’s survey: 41 percent of those polled said they hadn’t updated their operating systems. Are you also shaking your head right now?

Plus, a study conducted by tech research giant Gartner concluded that 90 percent of businesses are utilizing third-party commercial apps and they fail basic security tests.

Hypori suggests overcoming these issues by moving, “the battlefield from the uncontrollable user’s device to the secure enterprise.”

“Keep all apps and data within the organization, simplifying the administration and management of mobility. Virtual Mobile Infrastructure centrally hosts all data within the enterprise and streams apps to mobile endpoints, providing a mobile-first virtual experience,” the vendor reported.