Nothing could be more terrifying than waking up to see your private communications in the news, right? That internal IPO and draft prospectus memo; that conversation with legal.
Well, it happens. If you’re not using a secure means of communication between senior staff, or family for that matter, everything is almost a postcard. We all remember them, of course: having a great day at the beach and wishing you were here.
We tend to think WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, WeChat, etc. are all secure, but I can tell you after reviewing people’s phones and other devices, I can read all of them. Yes, that’s right – plain TEXT and audio – it’s all there!
Have your device taken away from you without putting security around your communications and you can say goodbye to all your data.
For your own safety and the confidence shareholders and clients place in you, it’s imperative to use only secure, trusted apps.
Reports in 2020 by Verizon showed a 37% increase in mobile phishing attacks, now the main cause of data breaches worldwide. A report by Kaspersky reveals the number one mobile security threat is data leakage.
Why securing my communications is important?
For both business and even individuals, it’s equally important to protect:
- Your sensitive data
- Your intellectual property rights and copyrights infringement
- Your internal communications
If any of the above are overlooked, you’re putting yourself at risk of greater exposure.
The last thing you would want is to enable cybercriminals to take your data hostage and threaten your business, your family, or you as an individual.
So how do I keep my communications secured?
1. Always ensure that your communication platforms are end-to-end encrypted (E2EE).
As more and more data are exchanged over handheld devices, it risks being exposed to cyber threats. Did you know those free messaging applications found in most app stores send personal and sensitive data to remote servers? And the data collected is noted by advertisers and, increasingly, by cybercriminals?
Just for starters, your app will probably send off the following details:
- Make and model of phone
- Your operating system iOS or Android and version
- When it was first used, became active
- Your service provider
- Your IMEI number, International Mobile Equipment Identity
- ID IMSI = International Mobile Subscriber Identity SIM Card
You can try limiting permissions if the app allows, but then it probably won’t work without access to your storage and files, microphone and voice recorder and finally use of the phone dialing capability.
All too much? Well, you just gave it all away when you invited those apps onto your device.
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is paramount in this day and age for both personal and business use. Although not totally sufficient on its own, it helps protect your instant messages from third party actors. As explained above, communication apps that are free to download are not as secure as you think!
2. Review your current internal communications.
You don’t have to compromise on tools essential to business productivity, like video calls, sending important files, etc. if you understand their limitations and advantages. Start by reviewing your current communication platforms in your business to sieve out potential threats. Verify that the communication platforms that you’re using are safe and from reputable service providers that you can trust. Make sure you’re running the most recent version of the app with the latest security patches.
Finally, read the fine print in the terms of service to understand what data is being collected about you.
3. Now to secure your communications!
Now that you have a better idea of why is secure communications are important and how they play an important role in business and personal life, it’s time to take your first step towards securing your communications.
Speak to our cybersecurity experts here at Xione Group and let us help you stay protected.
