The Impact of Mobile Devices on Cyber Security - Essay Example

The Impact of Mobile Devices on Cyber Security Introduction Cyber criminals have increasingly become organized, professional and profit-oriented. They have adopted modern technology in their operations to keep at par with the rapidly changing technology in the business world. Whereas considerable gains have been made with regards to cyber security, the invention of new technological gadgets threatens to reverse such gains. One such technology, mobile devices, has been used to access sensitive data like credit reports and transact businesses. However, even with the increased popularity and functionality of these mobile devices, Metzler (2011) observes that the devices have been an attraction for more cybercriminals. Indeed, mobile devices make I difficult to develop and enforce effective cyber security as they make it more complex to fight cyber attacks and make information targeted by cybercriminals more available and accessible. Cyber security has faced critical challenges, especially so after the invention of the Internet, which interconnected various computing devices. Cyber attack has been defined by Kostopoulos (2013) as the action intended to undermine computer or electronic communications network functioning. Baumhof (2012) observes that in 2011, 25 million unique malware strains were developed with the number expected to hit 87 million by the end of the year 2015. Thus, important measures have to be undertaken to boost cyber security. Cyber security refers to the protection of computers, programs, data and networks from unauthorized or unintended access, destruction or alteration. Nonetheless, the influx of mobile devices does not support this objective. Mobile devices are portable and wireless computing devices. Their popularity has been boosted by their ability to access the Internet. This is the foundational reason for the negative impact of the devices on cyber security. The first impact of mobile devices is the making of cyber security a complex venture with regards to the development and enforcement of effective strategies. These devices are brought into and out of workplaces regularly with managers finding it hard to impose restrictions on their use. In fact, a majority of modern day employees prefer working from their personal mobile devices, a trend referred to as “bring your own device” or BYOD by Drew (2012, 44). This model allows such employees to connect to their corporation’s networks. Despite this having a myriad of benefits, the lack of control over these devices used for work poses serious cyber security threat. According to Metzler, management of such devices owned by employees is complex “because it is much more difficult to maintain standardization… and to install software and agents designed to lock them down” (2011, 12). In fact, their small sizes could make them unnoticed, giving attackers the opportunity to execute their intentions. This could be the reason that caused the US Department of Defense not to notice the 14,000 handsets used without appropriate authorization in the military (Electronics Recyclers International, 2013). If the military faces such challenges with mobile devices, the private sector faces an even greater challenge. Mobile applications, also known as apps, have been used to access and record personal information fed and stored in these mobile devices such as passwords and personal identification numbers, PINs which are relayed to cybercriminals (Khajuria & Andersen, 2012). Once these devices have been used to transfer data, lost or stolen, such data would not be remotely erased. Thus, mobile devices have made it complex to develop and enforce effective cyber security strategies. Secondly, mobile devices have made it possible for cyber attackers to access a greater target hence making cyber security cumbersome. It is a fact that mobile devices have been widely used than personal computers. In fact, such devices with greater computing abilities and Internet accessibility have sold more. In 2012, the tablets sales, for instance, grew by 120% from the previous year to reach 17.4 million units globally. The global sales of smartphones hit 144.4 million in the first quarter of the same year, revealing a trend of 45% increase in sales over years (Drew, 2012). By 2017, Khajuria and Andersen (2012) postulate that 80% of Americans would be using smartphones. The number of smartphones being shipped globally exceeds the number of phones with basic functionalities and unable to access the Internet. With such trends and numbers, more people are postulated to acquire mobile devices. With each acquisition, cyber attackers have their potential target widened, hence jeopardizing the gains made in cyber security over the past years. Finally, mobile devices have increased the accessibility of personal information and other sensitive corporate information. Mobile devices have computing abilities and have been used to store a myriad of personal information. This not only includes the information about the holder of the device but also of other people as stored by the device user (Baumhof, 2012). Because of the richness of these devices with information useful to cyber attackers, there have been various strategies developed to access such information. The development of malicious applications (malware) has been common with the aim of attacking these devices and accessing them. Additionally, their smallness in size makes them easy to lose. They are also easily forgotten. This combination of factors presents attackers with opportunities to access unauthorized information. Mobile devices also access information through wireless networks such as Wi-Fi. Thus, attackers are able to intercept the shared information for unauthorized use (Sujithra & Padmavathi, 2012). As documented by Drew (2012), executive and all employees adopting the BYOD model of operation could download confidential client or personally identifying information to their tablets or smartphones. If such devices get compromised, stolen or lost, the critical information contained therein could be found by cyber attackers. This risk is further propagated by users’ ignorance to install and update antivirus protection on their devices as contrasted to when using personal computers. Even the basic security measure of password protection would rarely be observed on mobile devices as opposed to the case with personal computers. This therefore makes mobile devices propagate cyber attack threats. Conclusion The invention of mobile devices was a beneficial move in making it simpler for humans to carry out their daily activities. There has been an influx of these devices, particularly the ones with greater computing capabilities and ability to connect to the Internet. However, it is such capability that has made it complex to develop and reinforce cyber security strategies. It has generated a greater target pool for cyber attacks. Furthermore, it has made personal and confidential information more accessible. This has presented cybercriminals with an opportunity to execute their malicious intents, making the realization of cyber security elusive. References Baumhof, A. (2012, July 23). The creeping risk of mobile and personal devices in insurance. Insurance Advocate, 32 – 35. Retrieved 8 May 2014 from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu Drew, J. (2012). Managing cybersecurity risks: Mobile and cloud open doors to opportunities and threats. Journal of Accountancy, 214 (2), 44 – 48. Retrieved 8 May 2014 from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu Electornic Recyclers International. (2013, April 4). Electronic Recyclers International CEO warns that Army’s mobile security concerns are ‘small tip of massive iceberg.’ Regional Business News. Retrieved 8 May 2014 from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/ Khajuria, S. & Andersen, B. (2012). Authenticated encryption for low-power reconfigurable wireless devices. Journal of Cyber Security and Mobility, 1, 189 – 203. Kostopoulos, G. (2013). Cyberspace and cybsersecurity. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Metzler, J. (2011, November 7). Are you ready for networking in the cloud? Trend Analysis, p. 11 – 12. Retrieved 8 May 2014 from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu Sujithra, M. & Padmavathi, G. (2012). Mobile device security: A survey on mobile device threats, vulnerabilities and their defensive mechanism. International Journal of Computer Applications, 56 (14), 24 – 29. Read More