Is Mobile Technology Really Safe?

With the world’s population using smartphones to conduct complex business activities, security becomes a major issue

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 13 June 2018 – By 2020, an estimated 23.28 million South Africans will be using smartphones.^[i] With cloud technology becoming increasingly popular as a business solution, more and more people will be using their personal devices to access work-related data remotely.^[ii] Innovative technology means that mobile security is more advanced than ever before and both business and personal data can be effectively secured.

According to research, over 80% of employees use their own phones or tablets for doing tasks for work.^[iii] While this may sound like there are a lot of highly motivated and dedicated workers out there, the reality is that technological advancement has simply made this possible. Mobile virtualisation is a term relating to the ability to create two separate environments or personas on one device – which means private and business information and activities can be completely separate, with different security protocols.^[iv]

A malware or virus doctor isn’t the solution anymore. With advancing technology, hackers also become more advanced, so securing data has to be more effective than simply putting a fence around something or being alerted about threats coming in. The key is to embed security into every aspect of a phone – from the foundations.

Craige Fleischer, Vice President of Integrated Mobility for Samsung South Africa, says, “Knox is Samsung’s guarantee of security, which gives users the freedom to work and play, how and when they want. The Samsung Knox platform is built into Samsung smartphones, tablets and wearables at the manufacturing stage, so it’s there before the device is even unpacked. The Knox platform consists of overlapping defence and security mechanisms that protect against intrusion, malware and more malicious threats.”

But it’s not just about detecting threats – authentication systems verify not only the person performing the transaction, but also the permission to perform it at that exact time and location. This means that if a user is doing something sensitive in a location that’s not conducive to such activity, the device won’t allow it to happen.^[v]

That’s just on a personal level. The Samsung Knox Platform for Enterprise gets even more intelligent, allowing IT managers to create bespoke solutions for their business needs that is capable of being managed and controlled remotely. Each business-use device can be managed and secured by Knox Platform for Enterprise, which provides IT with government-certified data encryption, advanced VPN and powerful tools to manage and monitor corporate devices and data traffic usage. IT is even able to choose to deploy an on-device container to separate work and personal data.^[vi]

“As the world becomes increasingly mobile, security and privacy are of utmost importance. Being able to separate business from personal activities doesn’t just protect businesses’ sensitive data, it also protects employees personal information,” concludes Fleischer.

^{[i] https://www.statista.com/statistics/488376/forecast-of-smartphone-users-in-south-africa/}

^{[ii]https://www.trackvia.com/blog/infographics/mobile-devices-are-a-necessity-in-todays-business-world/}

^{[iii] https://www.trackvia.com/blog/infographics/mobile-devices-are-a-necessity-in-todays-business-world/}

^{[iv] https://venturebeat.com/2013/06/19/the-real-challenges-of-mobile-personas-for-byod/}

^{[v]https://insights.samsung.com/2017/10/27/advancing-mobile-technologies-without-sacrificing-security/}

^{[vi] https://www.samsungknox.com/en/knox-platform/knox-security}