Mobile threat vectors shift enterprise security strategies

Attacks on smartphones are becoming more common, and according to McAfee Labs, new malware targeting Android devices jumped 76 percent in the last quarter. The need to secure mobile devices from attacks has never been more important.

IT security operations that were once smooth-running have recently come under intense pressure to adopt new technologies and fully support completely new platforms, operating systems, and architectures.

McAfee shared its vision for securing mobile devices in corporate environments. The three-pronged approach for protecting mobile devices, mobile data, and mobile applications, is designed to help businesses and consumers manage their devices securely, as the threat environment quickly evolves.

Traditional endpoints relied mostly on email and web for application framework. Mobile has a whole new freedom in custom applications. But each new application – either public or private – introduces new threats and risks to corporate IT.

Today, challenges include the consumerization of IT, mobile platform diversity that includes iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone, and an explosion of applications. Additionally, most Android-based devices have a slightly different implementation of the OS making software development and support that much harder.

McAfee’s three-pronged approach to mobile security:

Protecting Mobile Devices – With data and device protection for today’s most popular mobile devices, McAfee provides a complete security solution that embraces mobile device diversity. To meet this challenge, McAfee offers the following:

• McAfee Enterprise Mobility Management (McAfee EMM) software brings the same level of security and control to mobile devices — including employee-owned smartphones and tablets — that IT applies to laptops and desktops.
• Anti-malware protection from the growing number of threats targeted at mobile devices through McAfee® VirusScan Mobile software.
• Web protection that alerts mobile devices users when they are accessing malicious sites, such as phishing sites is offered through McAfee SiteAdvisor technology.

Protecting Mobile Data – Protecting sensitive corporate data is a requirement. McAfee can ensure that only those devices with encryption access the corporate network and data. McAfee offers:

• Data protection when using the McAfee EMM product, including the prevention of data leakage from Jailbroken and Rooted devices.
• Anti-theft and loss features allow for remote backup, lock and wipe to make sure that sensitive data does not get into the wrong hands.
• Additional data protection technologies are under development including the separation of business and personal data.

Protecting Mobile Apps – Beyond traditional email and web, mobile apps are readily available and proliferating by the millions. McAfee sees this as potentially the biggest threat vector of the future.

• McAfee has released in beta McAfee App Alert software to inform users how apps access their personal data.
• McAfee is expanding the scope of its Global Threat Intelligence to include mobile app reputation services to identify apps that are malicious or put privacy at risk.
• McAfee also has app-scanning technologies that have been successfully deployed in app stores, adding a crucial layer of application security that helps vendors provide customers a safe app experience.