
Are your apps a security risk?

Do you own a work phone? Do you install apps onto it? If you answered yes to both of those questions, you’re not alone. Apps are such a vital part of our lives on our smartphones now that if you didn’t use apps on your work phone then chances are you can’t actually do your work.
But could those apps pose a security risk?
Jon Huberman, chief executive of file sharing company Syncplicity seems to think so. “If the enterprise doesn’t provide the users with the tools they expect to do the job, they’ll find the tools themselves” he says, “It’s a huge issue for the company – data leakage is a big problem.”Perhaps you use Dropbox to store work files and have the app installed on your phone. If your device was stolen, how easy would it be for someone to get into your Dropbox account?
Maybe you have installed Instagram or Twitter on your phone. These two applications hoover up data such as email addresses, phone numbers and full names from your phonebook. Or perhaps you use WhatsApp, which now shares data with Facebook in order to send you targeted advertising.
There is also the risk of apps infested with malware. This is generally more of a risk on Android devices, as open source apps are easier to install on Android devices, via a process called sideloading. A recent study found as many as 10 million Android phones were infected with some form of Malware.
For many, the worst a phone hacker can do is get hold of your text messages or your selfie collection. But for some, the data stored on your phone could be extremely damaging if it fell into the wrong hands.
What practical steps can you take to protect yourself and your company?
Firstly, it is important that corporate IT managers have some sort of idea of the sort of apps you’re installing on work devices. Those IT managers must also make it clear to staff what data can and cannot be shared with third-party apps and should provide staff with the necessary tools they require to do their job, so that they aren’t tempted to look elsewhere (Microsoft SharePoint is a more secure alternative to Dropbox for example). Finally, educate your staff to identify risky behaviour and particularly how they avoid falling victim to phishing emails.
By putting these points into practice, you can avoid a damaging security breach in your workplace.
Subscribe here!
Recent Posts
Posts by tag
- technology (124)
- Security (99)
- cyber security (87)
- IT Security (84)
- Cloud (66)
- Microsoft 365 (64)
- Managed Service (63)
- modern technology (63)
- business (60)
- cloud computing (59)
- IT support (58)
- cyber attack (55)
- workplace (54)
- Microsoft Teams (53)
- cloud it (53)
- microsoft (52)
- Working from home (50)
- productivity (48)
- office (46)
- cybersecurity (45)
- office 365 (44)
- IT (41)
- entrustit (39)
- Uncategorised (38)
- employees (38)
- Password Security (36)
- flexible work (36)
- Remote (33)
- efficiency (31)
- Hosted Workspace (30)
- hosted desktop (30)
- schools (29)
- independent schools (28)
- school ict (27)
- Cyber (26)
- collaboration (26)
- 2023 (25)
- cyber privacy (23)
- it support bournemouth (23)
- public cloud (23)
- email security (22)
- computing (21)
- it support dorset (20)
- password (20)
- entrust (19)
- passwords (19)
- hosted applications (18)
- VoIP (17)
- cloud voip (17)
- covid19 (17)
- hacking (17)
- it support hampshire (17)
- private cloud (17)
- data (16)
- teamwork (16)
- Coronavirus (15)
- GDPR (14)
- cloud cctv (14)
- hackers (14)
- office 365 support (14)
- ransomware (14)
- IT audit (13)
- Protection (13)
- cctv (13)
- covid-19 (13)
- hack (13)
- it consultancy (13)
- it consultancy bournemouth (13)
- it support southampton (13)
- management (13)
- network (13)
- Hosted Desktop and Applications (12)
- Windows Virtual Desktop (12)
- hardware (12)
- hybrid cloud (12)
- internet (12)
- it consultancy hampshire (12)
- it support winchester (12)
- msp (12)
- 2020 (11)
- 2022 (11)
- Microsoft Planner (11)
- internet safety (11)
- it consultancy dorset (11)
- IT costs (10)
- data breach (10)
- it consultancy southampton (10)
- phishing (10)
- vulnerabilities (10)
- windows (10)
- windows 10 (10)
- Backup (9)
- bitwarden (9)
- digital (9)
- telephony (9)
- attack (8)
- communication (8)
- desk phone (8)
- education (8)
- eu (8)
- planning (8)
- software (8)
- staff (8)
- uk (8)
- Google (7)
- Hampshire (7)
- OneDrive (7)
- awards (7)
- infrastructure (7)
- mobile (7)
- offsite backup (7)
- outsource (7)
- partnership (7)
- usecure (7)
- 2019 (6)
- Apple (6)
- Bournemouth (6)
- Dorset (6)
- IT Director (6)
- Skype for Business (6)
- apps (6)
- architect (6)
- child protection (6)
- cloud storage (6)
- european union (6)
- hacks (6)
- legal (6)
- legal it (6)
- mobile phones (6)
- onsite backup (6)
- password manager (6)
- remote desktop service (6)
- virus (6)
- 3d design desktop (5)
- Azure (5)
- Desktop (5)
- ISO (5)
- News (5)
- Risk assessment (5)
- Windows 7 (5)
- brexit (5)
- designer (5)
- personal data (5)
- resources (5)
- smartphone (5)
- surrey (5)
- website (5)
- Access Management (4)
- BYOD (4)
- Case Studies (4)
- Facebook (4)
- Government (4)
- Microsoft Forms (4)
- SharePoint (4)
- VPN (4)
- WannaCry (4)
- artificial intelligence (4)
- ios (4)
- law (4)
- legacy (4)
- proactive (4)
- remote learning (4)
- 2021 (3)
- 2024 (3)
- AI (3)
- Attacks (3)
- General (3)
- Google Drive (3)
- Help (3)
- IP (3)
- Local (3)
- Microsoft Copilot (3)
- NHS (3)
- New Forest (3)
- Tiva (3)
- Zoom (3)
- award winning (3)
- big switch off (3)
- budgets (3)
- citrix (3)
- closed cloud (3)
- ddos (3)
- digital hub (3)
- disaster recovery (3)
- guide (3)
- innovation (3)
- instagram (3)
- internet of things (3)
- meetings (3)
- sme (3)
- storage (3)
- teaching (3)
- trump (3)
- twitter (3)
- united kingdom (3)
- 2016 (2)
- 2018 (2)
- CAD (2)
- ChatGPT (2)
- DR (2)
- DR planning (2)
- Environment (2)
- Firewall (2)
- GPT-4 (2)
- Gen Z (2)
- ISBA (2)
- Macs (2)
- Mr Mulligans (2)
- PaaS (2)
- Privacy Shield (2)
- Sydenhams (2)
- Thames Valley Tech & Innovation Awards (2)
- The Business Magazine (2)
- afc bournemouth (2)
- afcb (2)
- android (2)
- bcs (2)
- berkshire (2)
- broadband (2)
- camcloud (2)
- computer performance (2)
- copilot (2)
- copilot pro (2)
- digital transformation (2)
- downtime (2)
- dropbox (2)
- exhibition (2)
- finalist (2)
- legalex (2)
- london (2)
- macos (2)
- online meetings (2)
- organisation (2)
- paypal (2)
- predictions (2)
- president (2)
- serval systems (2)
- solent (2)
- strategy (2)
- us (2)
- video conferencing tools (2)
- wireless internet bournemouth (2)
- 1998 (1)
- 5G (1)
- AI CCTV (1)
- AMD (1)
- ARM (1)
- Abbey Hill (1)
- Aldwickbury Park (1)
- BBC (1)
- BGL Company (1)
- BUNKERS! (1)
- Birchwood Park (1)
- Bourne Group (1)
- Burhill (1)
- Burhill Group (1)
- Burnout (1)
- CEO (1)
- Central South Business Awards (1)
- Cloud VMS (1)
- Cloudtango (1)
- Dorset Chamber (1)
- Go Integrator (1)
- Growth 100 (1)
- Harvey Jones Kitchens (1)
- High Growth (1)
- Hoebridge (1)
- Ignite 2018 (1)
- Ignite 2020 (1)
- Leaders (1)
- Loop (1)
- MFA (1)
- MSP Select 2024 (1)
- Market (1)
- May (1)
- Multi Factor Authentication (1)
- MyAnalytics (1)
- Ninja Warrior UK (1)
- PBX (1)
- PM (1)
- Power BI (1)
- Ramsdale Park (1)
- Redbourn (1)
- Regulation (1)
- Reid Steel (1)
- Surrey Business Awards (1)
- Tech Company of the Year (1)
- Tech Growth (1)
- Thames Valley (1)
- Thornbury (1)
- WCry (1)
- WannaCrypt (1)
- Wifi (1)
- Wycombe Heights (1)
- acquisition (1)
- ashley madison (1)
- award (1)
- b2b (1)
- bandwidth (1)
- battersea (1)
- beach (1)
- big data (1)
- bloatware (1)
- blockchain (1)
- brand (1)
- builders merchant (1)
- cambridge analytica (1)
- canada (1)
- cia (1)
- clinton (1)
- cnn (1)
- copyright (1)
- cryptocurrency (1)
- dark web (1)
- dkim (1)
- dmarc (1)
- dns (1)
- donald (1)
- dyn (1)
- eagle eye networks (1)
- east grinstead (1)
- election (1)
- equality (1)
- executive order (1)
- farnham (1)
- fax (1)
- football (1)
- gchq (1)
- grinstead (1)
- intel (1)
- intelligence (1)
- josh widdicombe (1)
- landmarks (1)
- learning (1)
- legal technology forum (1)
- machine learning (1)
- meltdown (1)
- millennials (1)
- mimecast (1)
- mirai (1)
- no-deal (1)
- number plate detection (1)
- onsite (1)
- paper (1)
- patisserie valerie (1)
- performance reviews (1)
- pound (1)
- premier league (1)
- procrastination (1)
- reading (1)
- recruitment (1)
- research (1)
- sharefile (1)
- smishing (1)
- snowden (1)
- solent business awards (1)
- solentBA (1)
- sophos (1)
- spectre (1)
- spf (1)
- sterling (1)
- storm (1)
- talktalk (1)
- trumppresident (1)
- ukitawards (1)
- united states (1)
- usa (1)
- vault 7 (1)
- vitality stadium (1)
- whatsapp (1)
- white (1)
- white house (1)
- wikileaks (1)
- wireless internet southampton (1)
- women in business (1)
- xiongmai (1)
- year (1)