More smartphones are being targeted by cyber thieves – and Android is most at risk.
Thanks to the convenience of tablets and smartphones, many businesses are now allowing employees to use them outside the office to do their jobs wherever they like.
However, managers may need to look at new methods of data protection after a report showed that mobile malware is increasing.
Finnish security firm F-Secure discovered that the number of viruses and other malicious things targeting smartphones has risen by 49 per cent since 2012.
The Threat Report found that Google Android is the most at-risk operating system, as a whopping 91 per cent of the malware examined for the study was targeted at this platform.
It is not just dangerous apps and Trojans that employees can stumble upon either, as criminals are increasingly using spam in emails to steal information, something some users may not be aware is an issue.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the value of sensitive information on the black market, 76.5 per cent of the cyber attacks were designed to make the criminals money.
F-Secure’s Sean Sullivan told V3 he is alarmed about the new findings, as hackers can now create tailored ways of conning their victims.
It comes after Trend Micro said it believes the number of threats targeted at Android will surpass one million by the end of this year.
Businesses of all sizes need to have strategies in place to beat cyber attacks, as the cost can be devastating.
Indeed, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills recently revealed that 87 per cent of small companies and 93 per cent of larger ones have suffered a security breach in the past year, with the average cost being £50,000 and £650,000 respectively.
"No sector is immune from attack," warned universities and science minister David Willetts.
Give Dajon Data Management a call if you’re at all worried about data protection, as we offer a range of tailored solutions for businesses of all sizes. This includes offsite storage that can be encrypted for particularly sensitive information.