Vulnerability an issue for mobile device users

Americans are using mobile devices now in astounding numbers, as made evident by a report from Pew Internet and American Life Project, which discovered close to 90 percent of Americans are now using cellphones, tablets or some similar type of computerized gadget.  According to a CTIA-The Wireless Association report, 29.7 percent of American households used wireless devices exclusively as of 2011, up from 10.5 percent in 2006. With the startling number of Americans using mobile devices, hackers have found it easier to access private information on users' mobile devices, given that many aren't aware of how vulnerable they are to an attack.

The New York Times recently interviewed Chuck Bokath, a senior engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta. In addition to being an engineer, Bokath also has another skill that has been helpful to many mobile device management companies: being able to hack into mobile devices.

Bokath finds it easy to remotely listen to private calls, read text messages, snap pictures with someone's phone camera and track their movements around town, in addition to being able to access their online bank account through a mobile device. Bokath's job is to expose security flaws in wireless devices, making it possible for MDM providers to better design products to keep user information secure from malware and other hacking attacks.

“It’s actually quite frightening,” Bokath said. “Most people have no idea how vulnerable they are when they use their cellphones.”

According to the Times, cellphones have become more advanced, which has made them more like computers and less like phones, making them more attractive targets.  Step-by-step instructions on how to hack into cellphones are easily accessed online, prompting technology experts to believe compromised cellphones will be the most significant problem mobile phone companies have to deal with in 2012. However, users themselves can take steps to keep their devices safe by doing things like choosing good passwords and installing security software.

“Individuals can have a significant impact in protecting themselves from the kind of fraud and cybercrimes we’re starting to see in the mobile space,” Paul Smocer, an expert in financial services, said to the source.

With companies beginning to catch on to the "bring your own device" trend, allowing employees to use their mobile devices for personal and business operations, IT departments are joining mobile providers and individual users in doing all they can to prevent any unwanted security breaches of company information.