Cybersecurity and cyberwarfare are major issues. With the rise of state-sponsored hacking and the proliferation of malware, we’re in a very dangerous time for internet security. These hacks can come from anywhere, but it’s important to be aware of the various types of attacks out there. One type of attack involves mobile phones.
State-sponsored entities often deliver these attacks through rogue apps on your phone, attempting to extract data or gain access to your device. But how do you know if an app is legit? And what can you do to protect yourself? Here are some tips for protecting your device against these dangerous hacks.
What is state-sponsored hacking?
State-sponsored hacking refers to when a hacker from one country turns their sights on another country or the rest of the world with support from their government. The most popular targets for this hacking are critical infrastructure.
Government espionage is nothing new, but the playbook has changed incredibly. As corporations have gained increasing political power in the western world, state-sponsored attacks have focused on corporate espionage rather than an attack on the government or military.
The focus is typically on individual, specific targets and data. This makes state-sponsored hacking a far more complicated proposition than espionage. Given the large scale of corporate espionage, much of it by non-state actors, state-sponsored hacking may be the most dangerous and effective form of cyberattack today.
Combating state-sponsored mobile attacks requires a formidable mobile threat defense solution and cybersecurity measures which we’ll discuss later.
As nations’ economies are bolstered by their corporations and the stock market, economic warfare can effectively threaten countries by attempting to destabilize them. Thus, cyberattacks on Fortune 500 companies are relatively common, with cyberattacks impacting companies and economic systems worldwide.
Why are mobile attacks on the rise?
State-sponsored hacks on mobile phones are on the rise because they can be more difficult to detect than other attacks. It’s often hard for companies and agencies to detect state-sponsored hacks because many of these hacks rely on malware that has infected a system. These hacks are not sent directly to the target; instead, the malware takes advantage of a machine that has already been infected.
Thus, when companies look for malicious code, they’re not finding it, so they assume that the system is clean. This is a typical response to a security breach. In fact, this is how we ended up in this situation to begin with.
As we increase our usage of the IoT (Internet of Things) and the mobile device world, we build more complicated and connected systems that become more vulnerable.
Most state-sponsored attacks on mobile phones are designed to steal intellectual property and confidential information. These attacks are often targeted at a specific individual or company, often using cyberweapons developed by a government or its allies.
How to protect your company devices from these attacks
Device security is a major issue for many companies, particularly as we’ve moved towards a remote work environment. To combat the effects of state-sponsored hacking, companies should deploy a defense-in-depth strategy.
A defense-in-depth strategy means that you have layers of protection in place. If one layer is compromised, others will prevent your data or system from being hacked. You need to be able to defend against all attacks, not just a subset.
One approach to defense-in-depth is a policy that allows a company to disable a compromised device. This may not be effective for some corporations since you need to allow certain devices to connect to your corporate network. Another approach is to deploy endpoint security software, which will monitor all devices connected to the network and secure them if they are compromised.
Having an endpoint security solution installed can ensure that if an attack does occur, the malware will be blocked and destroyed, so your company will not be put at risk.
Overall, this threat has the potential to do serious harm to businesses around the world and should be taken seriously. The attackers are sophisticated, determined, and funded by governments and adversaries worldwide, so it is crucial that companies take measures to guard against state-sponsored hacks.
