It is important for businesses to educate employees on ways they can protect business information from malicious attacks. Businesses must help their employees understand what types of threats are out there, and how to prevent them. Symantec has created the following tips that will help businesses both increase productivity with a mobile workforce and minimise the associated risk of information loss.
- Focus on protecting the information as opposed to focusing on the devices – instead of solely focusing on the devices, SMBs need to take a step back and look at where their information is being stored and protect those areas accordingly.
- Encrypt the data on the devices – the information stored on a company’s mobile devices is an SMB’s most important asset. Encrypting this data is a must. If the device is lost and the SIM card is stolen, the thief will not be able to access the data if the proper encryption technology is loaded on the device.
- Make sure security software is up to date – SMBs must treat mobile devices just like they would their PC, and keep security software up to date. This will protect the device from new variants of malware and viruses that threaten an SMB’s critical information.
- Develop and enforce strong security policies for using mobile devices– in addition to encryption and security updates, it is important to enforce password management for managers and employees. Maintaining strong passwords will help protect the data stored in the phone if a device is lost or hacked.
- Use caution when enabling Bluetooth connections – a phone’s Bluetooth setting is on by default, so it will need to be turned off or paired with the device and configured with the headset. If not, the device will look for other Bluetooth-enabled phones to connect to, and could result in malware being loaded on to the device.
By implementing these tips, SMBs can control the risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime and minimise the risk of losing important customer data. This will allow SMBs to conduct their day-to-day business activities while enjoying their mobility.
