The need to protect data and secure your mobile device ecosystem

All Australian organisations are aware of the need to secure critical sensitive information. As seen from the recent Optus customer data breach, the impact on a business’s reputation and bottom line is real. Data leaks cost businesses in a number of ways. Not only the cost of paying fines and compensation to those individuals affected, but also loss in consumer confidence due to an organisation’s inability to protect sensitive information. 

While organisations today take steps to prepare IT infrastructure against cyber-attacks, less attention is given to another area of organisational IT vulnerability – its mobile device ecosystem. The rapid growth of mobile technologies and the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) across a range of industries has brought numerous risks and challenges. 

Billions of new devices and endpoints are constantly in use, containing a diverse range of features, connections, standards and protocols. Some of these devices may be simple, such as a smart thermometer in a healthcare setting where the security risks are low.

However, for some devices like a mobile computer in a retail environment that carries sensitive customer data, organisations need to take steps to ensure they have the necessary security protocols and systems in place. After all, if these devices are improperly managed and left unsecure, that leaves multiple open endpoints that can be exploited by a cyber-attack.

Protect sensitive patient data in healthcare settings 

Adopting mobile technologies that enable workers to create efficiencies and support enhanced levels of patient care provide tangible benefits in the healthcare sector. However, the growth in the number of devices handling private patient information also presents data security risks.

There are more lifesaving tools and technologies available today than at any other point in history, but the instance of lost, stolen or unprotected devices in healthcare settings can expose the private information of many Australians. 

For 12 consecutive years, healthcare paid more for data breaches than any other industry. This is a result of the sheer volume of devices and endpoints in healthcare environments which present…