In fact, those living in this city state will be familiar with the local wireless broadband network, Wireless@SG, available in most public areas island wide. Once registered to this network, users can enjoy seamless wireless broadband service while on the move in such public spaces.
There are plenty of business owners who have made it a point to set up wireless networks in their shops or buildings to enable patrons’ access to free Wi-Fi. But as Sean Duca, Asia Pacific Chief Security Officer for the next-generation security company, Palo Alto Networks points out, while public networks are convenient, it also increases users’ risk of having their laptops and mobile devices hacked or infected with malware.
“Hackers are generally drawn to public networks as they are easy targets; by hacking into the networks, they would easily obtain access to data from hundreds of devices that are connected at any point, says Sean. “Some of this data may be sensitive and contains private company information, and if found in the wrong hands, can result in loss of revenue and business reputation. As such, it is important to ensure that employees who use public Wi-Fi on laptops and mobile devices optimise their security measures for hotspot connectivity to ensure company data is protected at all times”.
According to Sean, there are three ways in which organisations can optimise mobile device security for public Wi-Fi hotspots:
1. Manage the device
Organisations should configure security settings appropriate for public Wi-Fi connectivity on mobile devices. This allows businesses to safely deploy business applications and oversee device usage across the organisation. Enterprise-scale device management capabilities can also be set up in order to simplify the deployment process. This can be done by applying configurations common to all users, such as email account settings.
2. Protect the device
Organisations can use endpoint security, mobile threat prevention technologies and next-generation firewalls to enforce network policies. This prevents mobile devices from being compromised, and attackers from accessing the company’s data.
Businesses should also take note that traditional endpoint security measures may not adequately protect mobile devices against threats. Hackers are constantly using more sophisticated methods which are not easily detectable. Hence, it is crucial that organisations look to investing in the newer next-generation security products.
3. Control the data
Organisations should control data access and movement between applications. This can be achieved by enforcing policies that control network access to applications and data. By isolating and controlling business data and devices, sensitive corporate data can be better protected through blocking unwanted applications and preventing devices connecting to command and control servers.
With the right security products in place, and through proper and precise policy enforcement, organisations can be assured that security isn’t compromised when their employees connect their mobile devices to wireless networks. Employees can also take advantage of free public Wi-Fi without having to worry about sensitive information falling into the wrong hands.
Credits: Sean Duca, Asia Pacific Chief Security Officer at Palo Alto Networks.
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