Mobile Device Protection: Why Your Smartphone Needs Security
In today’s digital world, our smartphones are no longer just communication tools, they are personal data vaults. They hold a wealth of sensitive information, from financial details and passwords to private messages and photos. Unfortunately, this makes them prime targets for cybercriminals just like your PC or laptop.
Some recent studies found that Smishing attacks have increased by 328% in Q3 2020 alone (Source: Proofpoint) and Hackers sent 2,649,564,381 smishing messages per week in April 2022 (Source: Finextra).
At CommSec, we witness the devastating consequences of phishing attacks and other cybercrimes on mobile devices daily. While robust security solutions typically come at a cost, we are excited to share Free mobile security software for your smartphone, courtesy of Sophos!
Why Traditional Security Measures Fall Short on Mobile Devices:
The increased reliance on mobile devices for both personal and professional communication during the recent work-from-home shift has exposed a crucial security gap. While traditional endpoint protection might safeguard your work PCs and laptops, the same level of protection often doesn’t extend to smartphones.
This stems from several misconceptions:
- Myth #1: Mobile devices are inherently secure: Both iPhones and Android phones are susceptible to malware, contrary to popular belief.
- Myth #2: Hackers only target Windows: Cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities across all operating systems, including iOS and Android.
- Myth #3: App stores guarantee safety: Malicious applications can still slip through app store vetting processes.
Remember, a compromised smartphone can not only put your data at risk but also potentially endanger others in your household. Malware like the Teckya clicker, disguised as children’s games, is a prime example of this threat.
Therefore, taking proactive steps to secure your smartphone with free mobile protection software is essential in today’s digital landscape.
What do you get with Mobile Protection?
• The software will check your device for any issue, for example, if the device is not encrypted this will change the health status to red! For each item, the risk is explained and how to remove or mitigate it.
• Device Status – will check if the device OS is up-to-date and also if it is not rooted or jailbroken!
You can configure the network security with settings for web filtering, link checker and Wifi security. All these options are explained.
• App security – this will check installed apps for malware. Help is also available to offer further explanations
Key features of Mobile Protection:
Malware protection
• Scan apps and storage media for malicious or inappropriate content.
Web Filtering
• Block web pages with malicious, undesirable or illegal content.
Link Checker
• Check links you tap in non-browser apps for malicious or inappropriate content
And much more
How to Install Intercept X for Mobile
Android – GooglePlay / Apple Appstore and search for “Sophos Intercept X for Mobile”
Or download from the Sophos Website
Install – open the application:
Immediately, we can see initial issues.
Select the issue, read the associated information and understand the risk, proceed to the correction.
Very simple, indeed!
When completed all should be green!
There is also a bunch of security tools made available from the root menu.
This includes Sophos authenticator, a password safe and many more.
I particularly like the “Privacy advisor” – this visual tool shows the list of Apps with the required & granted permissions.
Summary
• Intercept X for Mobile continuously monitors for and alerts users.
• Intercept X for Mobile monitors network connections for suspicious activity in real time, warning users of potential Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks. Web filtering and URL checking also stop access to known bad sites, and SMS phishing detection spots malicious URLs.
• Intercept X for Mobile detects malicious and potentially unwanted applications installed on devices, protecting against malware, ransomware and fleeceware.
Do protect your device with Sophos InterceptX for mobile – for FREE
Jean-Luc Oudart is a Senior IT Architect with CommSec.