In an article written by Mike Elgan, the way we use our personal devices can not only put our personal data at risk, but also the confidential data of their company.
The article provides a list of 5 new security concerns. However, I will highlight a few which can have a direct impact on a Information Systems Confidentiality.
Link to Article
- Be wary of your selfies:
Elgan argues that with the high resolution of today’s mobile phones, the camera itself can accurately capture our fingerprints, which hackers could use to make prints and bypass biometric systems. While it may seem unlikely, it’s always a possibility.
I would also like to add to that topic of being aware of what you’re background is. If you’re at work, you would want to make sure no confidentiality information can be picked up from the background. Such as passwords written on the dry erase board.
2. Do you really know what your Mobile apps are sending to their servers.
We all download different mobile apps for their different purposes. However, we may not necessarily know what is occurring in the background. The author used the example of Meitu, an app from China which was sending back information back to their servers including the mobile carrier and IP address.
This can pose a problem for Information Systems because we link our company emails to our personal devices, we send texts to our bosses and coworkers, and we may use the companies Wi-Fi.
Essentially our mobile devices are becoming gates to unlocking the doors to our servers.
At the end of the day, while we can never fully secure our data we can still utilize this knowledge to be more wary and make better decisions as to how we use and monitor our personal devices and our company’s data.
I find this article very interesting. As technology advances and becomes more integrated in daily lives, it leaves users vulnerable to attacks. Attacks are becoming more and more technical and advanced, leaving them undetected and able to affects millions of people. I never considered the idea of someone using an app to upload information to the server I am using.
This was an interesting article to read! Maintaining company privacy is becoming more difficult with the continued increase in mobile activity. Although not practical for all, I wonder if keeping separate devices for work and personal use is the easiest way to combat such security issues.