Email is the external gateway to your business IT systems and it is important to ensure that everybody on your network maintains vigilance when opening their emails. It’s not just desktop computers that are prone to cyber-attacks through email, you also need to be careful when opening emails on tablets and mobile phones.
The rate at which business users are falling for phishing attacks on mobiles devices has increased by around 85% every year since 2011, according to research by mobile security company Lookout. It was recently discovered that opening a malicious PDF file on your iPhone or iPad could infect it with malware. It was found that this malware could lead to unexpected termination of apps and unrequested code execution.
Users also need to be careful about which apps are downloaded. Fraudsters and cyber-criminals are getting more and more sophisticated in their targeting of email accounts. Criminals often pose as large corporations such as Microsoft and Apple and it can be hard to tell these emails are fake if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
Keeping your operating system and security software up-to-date is crucial in the fight against email scams. However, with the high level of sophistication of many of the current scams, even this may not be enough. Every user on your network needs to understand the risks that are out there and be aware that no device is immune from attack. Even something as simple as opening a PDF file can expose your whole system and risk your business IT security.
If you are in any doubt about your mobile device security measures or the training policies you have in place to protect your business against cyber-attacks and malicious emails, please feel free to call the team at M2 Computing on 01293 871971.
