"Mobile devices including smartphones and tablets are changing how we communicate, acquire information, and transact business. Did you know that there is an estimated 7.2 billion mobile devices in the world? That's more than number of people - and that number is multiplying five times faster than humans. What's more, mobile devices are becoming increasingly connected with the advent of wearable tech, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), and the Internet of Things (IoT). Imagine what the world will look like in the next five years let alone the next ten.
BUSINESS OFTEN NEGLECT IT SECURITY
Businesses have been quick to embrace mobility going back to the early 1990s with the first pagers and cell phones. However, many have been slow to embrace IT security. The risks associated with data breaches and hacking are very real and often overlooked threat.
Countless emails travel over mobile devices and the public Internet every second of the day. In fact, more than 100 billion emails are sent and received per day. These emails may contain usernames and passwords, customer information, billing or even credit card information. What happens when an employee looses their smartphone, tablet, or laptop? Worse yet, what if it is stolen? The answer is lawsuits, regulatory fines, and a customer service nightmare beyond belief if that data falls into the wrong hands.
According to a recent report, two spy agencies hacked into the internal computer network of the world's largest manufacturer of SIM cards. The hackers obtained the encryption keys used to protect the privacy of cell phone communications across the globe. The company in the report manufactures two billion SIM cards a year. Still think your mobile device is safe? Think again.
AVOID DATA BREACHES AND HACKING ATTEMPTS
There are significant risks involved in conducting business over mobile devices and the public Internet. The fact that these devices containing mission critical information can be lost or stolen is terrifying. Most business neglect to take it seriously until it is too late - and at that point the financial and reputation costs are extraordinary. Just ask any of the companies recently involved in data breaches and hacking scandals - Target, Home Depot, Ebay, JP Morgan Chase'¦ The list goes on and on. Don't let this happen to you."
