Most people today have a company mobile phone or their own smartphone with company data on it. This makes security risks an increasingly vital concern for everybody. Still, Metropark techs see a large amount of smartphone users who don’t update their Operating Systems (OS) as often as they update their computers. Sure, updating phone software requires time, memory, and battery power — and users are always running low on all three, but every time a software update is delayed on a mobile phone, your neighborhood cyber-criminal has an opportunity to exploit security vulnerabilities in the operating system.

Social media and phishing scams can especially ensnare mobile users who regularly check their email, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites. Phishing in the form of text messaging has become a popular attack of these bad apples, particularly for criminals looking to cash in on the popularity of mobile app banking. SMiShing, or SMS Phishing, is a security attack in which a mobile user is tricked into downloading a Trojan horse, a virus, or some other malware onto their cellular phone or other mobile device.

 

While computers and LANs are often secured with firewalls, antivirus, and/or anti-malware software, your mobile Tablet and Smartphone devices typically have only their operating systems and the security of their apps to protect them. Check out some ways you can protect yourself, your data, and your smartphone: