Top 5 mobile device threats & how to prevent them

Security threats to mobile devices, which are an integral part of digital insurance and banking apps, are increasing daily, but many organizations remain oblivious to the risks. Comodo Threat Research Labs, based in Clifton, New Jersey, detailed in a blog the top 5 mobile device security threats and ways to protect against them — see the gallery above. Comodo also provided four best practices to prevent those threats, including:

1. Avoiding connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi networks, such as public Wi-Fi hotspots;
2. Downloading apps from trusted sources, such as the Google Play Store and iOS App store, and not from unreliable third-party sources;
3. Being wary of unsolicited calls or messages; and
4. Mitigating mobile device attacks from penetrating the corporate environment, such as using the Comodo Mobile Device Management solution, which provides controls needed to secure, manage and monitor all the employe­e-owned mobile devices that access critical business data.

In a separate announcement, Comodo Cybersecurity presented its threat analysis for the first quarter of Q1 2018, which revealed cryptominers (who use a process in which transactions for various forms of cryptocurrency are verified and added to a blockchain digital ledger) surging to the top of detected malware incidents, displacing ransomware, which declined significantly in volume, as the number one threat. "Malware, like cyberspace itself, is merely a reflection of traditional, 'real-world' human affairs, and malware is always written for a purpose, whether it's crime, espionage, terrorism or war," Dr. Kenneth Geers, chief research scientist at Comodo Cybersecurity, said. "Criminals' proclivities to steal money more efficiently were evident with the surge in cryptomining. And the continued strong correlation of attack volume with current geopolitical events shows hackers of all motivations are well aware of the opportunities major breaking news provides them." Michael Ogden (mogden@alm.com) is executive editor for Credit Union Times, an ALM Media sister publication.