Three ways your mobile device could be a risk to the VUMC network
Do you use your smartphone while at work? If you do, you’re one of the 89% of healthcare employees who do so.
Mobile device usage continues to grow in both consumer and business markets, with no signs of slowing.
When you use a personal phone or device, in addition to your desktop, laptop, and even a desk phone (an average of three or more devices) at work, the number of “entry points” to the VUMC network increases. Additionally, so do the number of possible attacks.
So how does your personal device become a threat to the VUMC network? Here are three reasons why VUMC’s Enterprise Cybersecurity department is fortifying our network and creating policies to ensure the safety of the data within it.
Thieves like setting up shop on your personal devices
“Mobile is the new playground for criminals,” says Raj Samani, chief scientist at Intel Security. “Phishing and ransomware — threats that have long caused headaches for organizations — are now spilling over into the mobile space.”
When you connect to a Wi-Fi network in any location, it could be an invitation from a thief to set up shop on your phone, device or computer.
Malware is showing up on Wi-Fi networks everywhere. Hackers set up fake networks, waiting for you to log in while sitting at a coffee shop. When you are on their fake network, they can intercept your communications and the next thing you know, your credentials have been compromised, or your email has been hacked.
And then, the next time you log into the Medical Center network, the entire institution could be at risk.
Thieves like stealing your personal devices
Have you ever lost your phone, or had it stolen? The small size of your smartphone and other devices, as well as their portability, make them easy targets for thieves. This easy physical access is the number one reason many institutions are moving to protect devices from a corporate perspective.
Do you keep private personal information on your phone? Do you have company information on your phone? A clever thief that steals or finds your device can access that data, and compromise your data and VUMC’s data.
How much do you know about that application you just downloaded?
Do you really know what you are downloading when you get that new application from your phone’s store?
Nearly 75% of security breaches at organizations are now the result of a phone or device that logs onto a network and contains a misconfigured application that doesn’t meet minimum security requirements.
The number of non-VUMC managed devices logging into the network is growing and the Medical Center is taking steps to ensure the safety of its data. Read our blog next Thursday, “Four ways VUMC is meeting the challenges of a mobile workforce”, to find out how VUMC is managing the risk of mobile devices while allowing employees to use them at work and access Medical Center resources.