Categories
Digital Transformation

Data protection required for business smart phones

Companies need to protect their data against theft and online attacks.

Data protection is an important issue for any company that hands out business smart phones to its employees.

Tony Neate, managing director of Get Safe Online and member of the e-Crime Wales Steering Group, pointed out that by using a smart phone, workers are carrying around "the equivalent of a desktop PC of probably seven to eight years ago".

"The functionality on there makes them very valuable, valuable not just for the price of the phone, but for the intrinsic data that is being held on them," he warned, "so we know why criminals are looking at them and they are targeting mobile phones."

In order to protect their reputation among customers, as well as their financial and other sensitive data, companies should invest in the best online backup services available. They could also look into providing training for staff on how to protect their work smart phones from hacking attacks.

"We’re seeing the potential of people targeting individuals to get their mobile phones off them and also we’re seeing applications being used from app stores on some of the phones – specifically android phones – which are susceptible to having attacks made against them using different applications," Mr Neate added.

Meanwhile, with the shutting down of file-sharing website Megaupload.com, firms will want to find somewhere safe and secure where they can back up their files for posterity.

According to the Daily Mail, similar websites to Megaupload could come under suspicion of internet piracy, meaning legitimate sites such as Amazon, Dropbox, MediaFire, YouSendIt, Rapidshare and Box.net could take the step of cancelling their file-sharing services – as FileSonic has already done.