Those who are concerned about mobile security risks on business travel, here’s an article which helps in mitigating those cyber risks with ease.
In the past, the best practices depended on the country which is being visited or is on the itinerary. But now that assumption is proving wrong as Industrial espionage, state-sponsored attacks, and cyber threat have become bolder and more sophisticated in recent times.
So, business travelers who are about to visit a country or region here’s a checklist associated with mobile security risks which are often ignored-
Loss or theft of carry-on luggage- Obviously we carry our laptops in the cabin bag and the computing tablet on a carry-on. Suppose, the bag gets misplaced or gets stolen then just imagine what will happen to the legal data you had which was about a major acquisition your company was making.
Theft from airport security- In some cases, the passengers are asked to produce the data they are carrying on their smartphones, tablets or laptops. Some nations like the USA make this stipulation a mandatory while some do it on ‘suspicion’ basis. In such cases, what will happen to the data when a security person who has compromised with criminal actors gets hold of the data?
The airport has become vulnerable points to Cyberattacks- The latest report from F-secure says that cybercriminals are nowadays increasingly targeting airports located worldwide.
The security firm has also concluded in a study that cyber crooks are found lurking at airports to steal the data from a device being connected to a public Wi-Fi and then they transmit that info to remote servers which can be used for malevolent purposes.
Worried about what to do in such situations…?
To make things easy for you, Cybersecurity Insiders is suggesting some best practices which when followed will help keep you out of the radar of hackers. They are listed as below-
Carry minimal data- always carry minimal data and keep your devices clean.
Better to store sensitive data in the cloud- It is recommended to store/access sensitive data via the cloud as it not only helps users to access that data remotely. But also keeps the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at bay as no country’s law has the authority to access data which is stored in the cloud.
Disable Bluetooth- It is better to disable Bluetooth before entering the airport. And make sure you connect your phone to internet via mobile data than public WiFi in an airport.
Always use 2 Factor authentication on resources hosting sensitive data- Make sure you have a 2-factor authentication enabled on platforms which are storing your sensitive data.
Encryption of hard drives is better- Always ensure that your data on hard drives are encrypted.
Clear your browsing history- Always make sure that you erase all your browsing history before entering or leaving an airport or transit station as soon as you finishing accessing the public Wi-Fi.
Power down your laptops and tablets- Do not let your laptops go into sleep mode while you’re on international travel. This will automatically make the device out of reach to hackers.
Education- If you or your co-employees are making a business travel, then it is better to educate them on what is happening in the cyber landscape. Also never lie to customs agents or obstruct their searches, as it can land you into legal trouble.
