Portable devices have upended the way that society interacts with websites and conducts business. A few decades ago, no one would have thought that they would have a phone in their pocket or would they store all of their personal information on it.
Today, people don’t realize that the convenience of pulling out their phones and accessing their banking service may create a major security risk.
Our cybersecurity company in Miami recommends that businesses and individuals recognize the potential threat of convenience and how it can lead to sensitive data leaks.
Types of Portable Devices
What portable devices are we most concerned about?
- Smartphones
- Laptops
- Tablets
- Smart devices
If your device can be taken with you and used online, there are inherent risks involved.
Hidden Threats of Portable Devices
What threats exist? If you’re using banking apps or websites, you’re always going to be at risk of some sort of hacking attempt. Convenience comes at a risk, and this can include:
- Phishing attacks: Clicking on the wrong link can lead to a successful phishing attack.
- Malware: Smartphone malware is on the rise, and many users don’t realize that they’re at risk of getting malware on smart devices. Malicious software can result in devices slowing to a halt or personal details and credentials being stolen.
- Physical device loss: It’s far easier to misplace a phone than an entire desktop. Once lost, anyone with access to the device can try to circumvent security measures and access the device’s data.
- Wi-Fi network sessions stealing: Public Wi-Fi is a major security hole that non-security-conscious individuals don’t recognize. Insecure networks can allow hackers to access data transmitted over the network and steal banking information.
- Social engineering: If someone calls your phone or sends a text, you’re likely to pick it up or view it. Social engineering allows someone to exploit your fear to potentially steal your information and gain your trust by using your phone’s details. For example, someone can find your niece’s name from Facebook and contact you, telling you they’ve been in an accident and need money to pay for life-saving surgery.
You can do a lot to try and protect against these potential threats. For example, you can install anti-malware software or apps on your device to scan for threats. You’ll find that some solutions will even prevent phishing attacks by identifying them.
If you lose your device, you will be happy to know that biometrics or advanced passcodes are the best protection against being hacked. You can also enable remote tracking and wipe the device’s information remotely.
Storing any banking or password details on devices that can easily be misplaced is never a good idea.
If you do have to use a public network to access the Internet, be sure to use a VPN. The VPN will encrypt your connection so that if your data is intercepted, there’s little risk of it being deciphered.
Finally, social engineering will require you to remain diligent and keep your emotions under control. Remain suspicious of calls or texts from people who you don’t know. If an emergency happens, be sure to verify the information being told to you is 100% accurate.