The invasion of enterprise mobile applications has befitted many organizations to garner incredible benefits of rapidly expanding technology. There are several businesses that are efficiently using these apps for enhancing their productivity and make strives to attain success.
Whether you want an app to proficiently accomplish simple day-to-day tasks or want one to accomplish a complex task, you can easily get an app as per your requirements. Today, organizations are using mobile applications and empowering their employees (from field worker level to the manager level) to work efficiently and get easy access to the enterprise information at the comfort of their fingers.
Indubitably, enterprise mobile apps offer a plethora of advantages, but there is a dark side as well. Yes, along with the benefits, these apps often become a reason for security threats, and this is generally caused due to lack of security policies.
Hence, to ensure a flawless and secure enterprise mobile application, enterprise IT engineers are ought to be more cautious and conscious about application’s security to ensure organizational safety.
There are 5 major security issues that are often encountered while building an enterprise mobile application.
1.) File transfer is not secure
Issue: It has been observed that there is a greater degree of threat while using applications to transfer files via devices like tablets, iPads, etc., as, these devices don’t incorporate any native file storage system. Hence, it causes employees to become dependent upon workarounds and syncing solutions opted by consumers, which often do not match the standards set in recent FTC.
Solution: Though, Mobile Device Management offers easy, protected and managed accessibility to the enterprise files through the mobile devices. But, to strengthen the security, IT can also ensure protection at their end by creating encrypted and password-protected file access during transit and on the latest mobile devices that employees will be using.
2.) How open hotspots and public Wi-Fi can affect
Issue: This issue is basically caused due to laxly poor behavior of employees. Since, open network connections facilitate hackers to easily pry into user’s social networks and email accounts (via an authorized way), Wi-Fi attacks are expanding day-by-day. And, what’s worse is that most of the users are not even aware of this and thus, by using open networks, they unfortunately raises the probability of loosing enterprise data.
Solution: One can’t restrict employees from accessing corporate-provisioned devices in public areas. However, you can seek advantage of Mobile Device Management to use password-protection and encryption over emails or PIM solution for applications that are existing in a proprietary container.
3.) When devices are stolen or lost
Issue: There is always a risk, that an unauthorized person should not get access to the confidential enterprise information. This becomes a major concern when an employees’ device is stolen or lost, as there is no built-in remote management and server control over the enterprise applications. Thus, open enterprise tools can leak the info, if the device will fall into the wrong hands.
Solution: No one can stop devices from being stolen or lost, yes you can avoid such crucial situations from hampering the important data. The enterprise IT can use unique policies of the enterprises to configure specific access base, it is quite similar to that which are integrated with Action Directory to control the user’s ability to access certain functions, for instance, you can enable and disable user’s ability for opening, printing, emailing a file and more.
4.) Vague corporate policies
Issue: With the emerging technology, the chances of getting threats rises. While ensuring advantages to employees and prioritizing their preferences, companies that boast unclear corporate policies are often observed to fall into security risks.
Solution: Companies must state their policies clearly in front of the employees to ensure corporate assets integration. However, this won’t help prevent malware, but it will surely set standards for employees accountability and responsibility, and will also help create awareness among them for accessing critical data either from employee-owned or company-provisioned device.
5.) Affects of malware and viruses
Issue: The flourishing technology causes malware and with the increasing popularity, the vulnerability of getting malicious attacks also rises. A well-disguised Android app malware has enlightened the issue regarding enterprise app security in front of the IT mobile security concerns. However, due to Apple’s intensively-monitored app store, the Trojan apps has not yet targeted Apple devices, but it is not completely secured from the viruses.
Solution: It’s quite hard to restrict employees from downloading mobile applications that might create a threat to corporate assets and track critical info. But, enterprise IT experts can secure the assets that are available on the network and server side by encrypting file storage and transfers on the employee’s gadget.
Wrapping Up:
The above mentioned are certain security issues that might occur while accessing enterprise applications. After understanding the above mentioned security issues, it’s advisable to work with highly expertized professionals while creating an app for your enterprise. To reap the benefits of enterprise applications, without compromising on the enterprise assets, IT needs to fold their sleeves up and take appropriate measures to meet the requirements, without compromising on the data security.
