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mobile security (wireless security)

By Kinza Yasar

What is mobile security (wireless security)?

Mobile security, also known as wireless security, refers to the measures taken to protect smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches and other portable computing devices and the networks they connect to, from threats and vulnerabilities associated with wireless computing.

The goal of mobile security is to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data stored or transmitted by mobile devices. Mobile security is typically part of an organization's comprehensive security strategy.

Why is mobile security important?

Securing mobile devices has become increasingly important as the number of devices and the ways those devices are used have expanded dramatically. In the enterprise, this is particularly problematic when employee-owned devices connect to the corporate network.

Mobile security is important for the following reasons:

Mobile security threats

Corporate data on devices increases the draw for cybercriminals who can target both the device and the back-end systems they tap into with mobile malware or undetected spyware. IT departments work to ensure that employees know what the acceptable use policies are and that administrators enforce those guidelines.

Common mobile security and wireless network attacks include the following:

How does mobile security work?

As is the case with securing desktop PCs or network servers, there isn't one single thing that an organization does to ensure mobile device security. Most organizations take a layered approach to security, while also adopting longstanding endpoint security best practices.

Some best practices pertain to the way the device itself is configured, but other best practices have more to do with the way the device is used.

The following is an overview of how mobile security works:

What are the challenges of mobile security?

Due to the evolving nature of technology and the widespread use of mobile technology, mobile devices and communications face the following security challenges:

What are the types of mobile device security?

Mobile device security often centers around the use of MDM. MDM capabilities are often available in enterprise mobility management and unified endpoint management tools, which evolved from the early device-only management options.

However, organizations typically use other security tools to enhance their mobile device security which include the following:

Mobile device security vendors and products

Numerous vendors offer mobile device management and security tools. Examples of the tools available include the following:

Mobile devices are prone to cybersecurity threats and should be protected against malware assaults in the workplace. Discover practical ways for protecting endpoints from mobile malware in the workplace.

09 Feb 2024

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