FEATURE : CYBERSECURITY
NEARLY 50 % OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ANDROID USERS ARE RUNNING OUTDATED OPERATING SYSTEMS , EXPOSING THEM TO HUNDREDS OF DEVICE VULNERABILITIES .
environment ,” said Tony D ’ Angelo , Vice President , Americas Public Sector , Lookout . “ Regardless of whether devices are managed , protecting these modern endpoints requires a different approach – one that is built from the ground up for mobile . Only a modern endpoint protection solution can detect mobile threats in apps , device operating systems and network connections while also protecting against phishing attacks that steal credentials and deliver malware .”
Steve Banda , Senior Manager , Security Solutions at Lookout , provides some further insight into the findings and suggests how governments can keep pace with the evolution of the cyberthreat environment .
How damaging are these types of attacks to a government organization compared to a typical cyberattack and how can they be avoided ?
Mobile devices are a threat vector , among others , for cybercriminals to exploit an environment . Attacks on mobile devices are unique in that they are designed to take advantage of how users interact with their devices and they seek to exploit specific device and app vulnerabilities .
However , it doesn ’ t make any sense to categorize any cyberattack as ‘ typical ’ since attackers generally use any tools available to them . Mobile devices are just another way for attackers to then conduct a broader attack .
Consider ransomware for example , these attacks often start with phishing end-users on any device – whether mobile or fixed device – to steal credentials and then use those credentials to gain access to a corporate environment . Mobile phishing , whether via SMS , email , or messaging apps is a primary vendor an attacker can use to obtain credentials , bypass MFA controls and enter an environment .
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