Even though nothing is better than hosting an on-device security solution to protect sensitive data, there still are some security measures worth knowing to make mobile devices more secure.
Security patches fix the vulnerabilities and errors in operating systems. When they are released, hackers get tipped off to the vulnerabilities of the previous versions. Then, they are able to set attacks targeting devices using an older OS version in order to steal both personal and company’s data. When an update is available, you should install it right away.
The App Store and Google Play Store provide a first level evaluation of the apps they release to their users, which is not the case of third party stores. A great part of the applications available on those last ones are malwares.
When an app is downloaded on Android devices, permissions are automatically granted without the users' approval. To make sure asked permissions are consistent with the app’s purpose, you should check them and disable the suspicious ones.
Some people’s devices are configured to identify and attempt to connect to any open wireless access point to retrieve data from the Internet. This means devices get automatically connected to the restaurant or supermarket WiFi. Once connected to an unprotected network, hackers can attack the device and steal all its data (Man-in-the-middle attack). It's recommended to deactivate the automatic wireless connection on your devices and to avoid accessing to any sensitive data through unsecured networks.
A cracked device gives an easier access to the information it contains and increases its vulnerability. It's better to avoid it.
For a full application protection, you should get a security solution that controls apps legitimacy and protects data from known, unknown and zero-day attacks.
To protect your mobile fleet, discover Pradeo's Mobile Threat Defense solution.