As technology becomes more advanced and sophisticated, so too do cybersecurity threats. Data breaches are a real and growing threat for virtually all organizations, with new, costly examples hitting the newscycle on a regular basis.
Securing your mobile fleet against these threats should be a top priority for any IT and leadership team. But doing so requires understanding the threat landscape, and the means by which you can stay secure.
This article will explore both topics, starting with the current state of affairs in mobile cybersecurity before pivoting to specific actions and tools you can take to protect your customers and clients.
What constitutes a mobile device breach or security issue?
A mobile device breach occurs when an uninvited third party—such as a hacker—gains access to a mobile device through nefarious means.
This often results in unsanctioned access to sensitive data and systems, which may enable deeper access to more sensitive parts of a company’s network and databases. A breach can be small and isolated—such as accessing a single device. Or, it can be major and widespread, like when multiple hackers gain access to a wide swatch of a company’s network and underlying codebase.
These breaches can occur due to a variety of issues, ranging from poor password protection policies, to a lack of two-factor authentication (2FA), to employees being targeted by phishing attacks. The threat landscape is diverse and evolving, making mobile fleet security a major priority for modern organizations.
The mobile threat landscape in 2024
The mobile threat landscape is diverse and ever-evolving. Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting mobile device fleets due to their critical role in enterprise operations, and the complexities associated with securing a remote fleet of connected devices.
According to Fortinet, mobile devices often serve as gateways for hackers to access larger networks and systems, making them prime targets for attackers with lucrative payoffs for successful breaches. The cost to organizations, however, is significant and growing.
Studies from IBM found that the average cost of a data breach rose by 10% in 2024, hitting a staggering $4.88 million. Breaches that involved access to shadow data—that is, unmanaged or hidden data within a company’s network—caused even more grief, resulting in costs upwards of $5.27 million per breach.
In addition to the growing costs of breaches, the speed at which vulnerabilities in a mobile network are being exploited is also accelerating. Attackers are now exploiting weaknesses 43% faster than in previous years, according to Fortinet, with an average of 4.76 days between vulnerability discovery and exploitation.
Alarmingly, just 41% of organizations surveyed by Fortinet detected exploits that were less than a month old, highlighting the ease by which hackers can avoid detection. This coincides with Fortinet’s discovery that Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) were also on the rise in 2024, with 41 out of 138 known APT hacker groups worldwide actively targeting enterprises.
APT threats are particularly dangerous because, in these breaches, attackers remain undetected within networks for long periods of time. During this time, they have free reign to steal sensitive data, disruption operations, and install backdoors to facilitate future breaches.
The cause of these breaches, of course, is varied. But, according to IBM, phishing and compromised credentials remain the primary means that hackers use to access mobile networks, and are responsible for about 15% to 16% of recorded breaches.
To make matters even more challenging, Fortinet has also flagged the emergence of AI and Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) as further diversifying the threat landscape. These technologies enable attackers to automate and scale their operations, making it easier for cybercriminals to launch targeted campaigns with minimal technical expertise.
This has heightened the risk of large-scale attacks that efficiently exploit vulnerabilities, especially in critical industries such as healthcare, oil and gas, and utilities, where mobile devices are increasingly used as access points to larger infrastructures.
As mobile threats grow more sophisticated and frequent, organizations must prioritize proactive security measures to mitigate the risks associated with this evolving threat landscape.
The impact of mobile data breaches
Mobile data breaches impact the organization from a variety of angles, including financially, reputationally, and legally.
This includes:
- Cascading security impact. Mobile device breaches can act as entry points into larger corporate networks, allowing attackers to bypass traditional defenses and compromise systems for a long period of time. The longer these breaches remain undetected and unsolved, the more damage that hackers can cause to the company, including through data siphoning and penetrating deeper into the network.
- Damage to reputation and customer trust. Breaches often result in a loss of trust with customers, as compromised personal data damages the company’s reputation. According to IBM, customer personally identifiable information (PII) is the most common type of stolen data and is involved in 46% of breaches. The costs of breaches affecting customer PII cost companies an average of $169 per compromised record through a combination of lost customers, reputational damage, and costs associated with remedying the breach.
- Regulatory, legal, and compliance liabilities. Major data breaches typically draw attention from regulatory bodies and, potentially, class action lawsuit lawyers. In both cases, this exposes companies to significant potential penalties, including regulatory fines and legal expenses.
- Financial losses and negative revenue impact. Lastly, breaches have a direct financial impact on organizations. This includes loss of revenue, system downtime, additional security costs, and customer attrition. According to IBM, lost business costs associated with breaches—which includes lost customers and reputational damage—rose nearly 11% in 2024.
Clearly, the cost of a mobile data breach is severe. To avoid them, companies need to proactively identify and mitigate key vulnerabilities.
8 common causes of mobile device breaches
As mentioned, the threat landscape is continuously evolving and creating new potential vulnerabilities that can lead to breaches. In general, though, a majority of mobile breaches map back to one of the following causes.
- Out-of-date operating system. Mobile devices that aren’t regularly updated remain vulnerable to exploits that manufacturers have already patched. Cybercriminals target these known vulnerabilities, bypassing basic security protocols to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.
- Poor password practices. Weak, reused, or predictable passwords make mobile devices easy targets for attackers. Poor password hygiene enables brute force and credential stuffing attacks, giving cybercriminals access to devices and corporate networks.
- Unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Connecting to unsecured or public Wi-Fi networks exposes mobile devices to potential data interception. Attackers can launch man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks to capture sensitive data such as login credentials and private files.
- Phishing and social engineering attacks. Phishing attacks trick users into revealing credentials or installing malware. Mobile users are more vulnerable due to smaller screens and hidden information, making it easier for attackers to deceive them.
- Lack of mobile device management (MDM). Without MDM services, businesses lack control over mobile devices, making it difficult to enforce security policies, push updates, or remotely wipe compromised devices. This lack of oversight leaves devices vulnerable to attacks.
- Lost or stolen devices. If a mobile device is lost or stolen and lacks encryption or remote wipe capabilities, attackers can access sensitive corporate or personal data, leading to major security breaches.
- Unencrypted data. Unencrypted data stored on mobile devices is easily accessible to attackers if a device is compromised. Encryption ensures that data remains unreadable without the correct decryption key.
- Shadow IT and unapproved app usage. Employees using unapproved apps for work increase the risk of breaches. These apps often lack the security standards required by the organization, making them potential entry points for malware or data leaks.
The key to securing mobile devices, therefore, is to both understand and mitigate against these risk areas, and actively follow best practices to secure your fleet.
Best practices for securing mobile device fleets
Securing mobile device fleets requires a concerted, multi-tiered effort that combines security policies, threat detection and prevention tools, and personnel training. Here are some best practices to follow to help keep your mobile fleet secure.
Regularly update operating systems and applications
Implement automatic update policies for both operating systems and applications to ensure devices are always running the latest versions.
Schedule periodic checks to verify that all devices are up to date and educate users about the risks of using outdated software. Encourage users not to delay updates, particularly when critical security patches are released.
Enforce strong password policies
Enforce complex passwords that use a combination of uppercase, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. As part of this policy, require regular password changes, disallow password reuse, and implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for added security.
Providing password management tools can help employees securely store and generate strong passwords, reducing the risk of breaches.
Encrypt sensitive data
Enable full-disk encryption (FDE) on all mobile devices and use app-level encryption for sensitive applications. Ensure data is encrypted both in transit and at rest, and deploy mobile security solutions to automatically enforce encryption policies. Encryption adds a critical layer of protection if devices are compromised.
Use mobile device management (MDM) services
Onboard and deploy a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution to remotely control devices and enforce security policies.
Use MDM this solution to push updates, manage app installations, and monitor compliance. Set policies to lock devices after periods of inactivity and require secure logins, while also allowing remote wiping for compromised devices.
Restrict access to unapproved apps
Implement app whitelisting or blacklisting to control which apps can be installed on devices. Set up an enterprise app store—such as Okta—for downloading secure, approved applications, and regularly audit installed apps to detect unauthorized software. Disable installation from unknown sources to limit app downloads to trusted providers only.
Only allow devices to connect to secure networks
Enforce the use of VPNs and secure Wi-Fi networks for corporate communications, and prohibit access to sensitive data over public, unsecured Wi-Fi.
You can also consider implementing auto-connect VPNs to ensure that all mobile devices maintain secure connections. Educate employees about the risks of using unsecured networks.
Containerize work and personal data
Use containerization to separate corporate data from personal information on mobile devices.
MDM can enforce policies governing the storage, access, and transmission of work-related data, ensuring personal apps and files do not interfere with business operations. Containerization creates a secure environment for sensitive business data, ensuring that, if a breach does occur, sensitive data remains at arms length from hackers.
Conduct regular security audits and compliance checks
Conduct regular security audits to ensure compliance with regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA. Audit encryption standards, app usage, and data management practices to identify vulnerabilities. Security measures should be continuously updated to address emerging threats and evolving regulatory requirements.
Responding to and containing mobile device breaches
Of course, for many companies, the reality is that mobile device breaches can and will occur. Taking steps to prevent these is, of course, important. But so is understanding what to do when breaches occur.
Here’s a list of key steps to take if and when you detect a breach in your mobile fleet:
- Isolate the compromised device. Immediately disconnect the affected device from the network to prevent attackers from accessing the broader system.
- Use Mobile Device Management (MDM) tools. Remotely lock or wipe the device to protect sensitive corporate data. This prevents unauthorized users from accessing information stored on the device.
- Conduct a full investigation. Identify how the breach occurred, which vulnerabilities were exploited, and what data or systems were compromised. This step helps determine the scope of the breach, and your options for plugging the hole in your security.
- Notify affected parties. If customer data or sensitive information was exposed, promptly notify impacted individuals, customers, or clients. Compliance with regulations, such as GDPR or HIPAA, may require immediate notification.
- Involve relevant authorities: Depending on the breach’s severity and compliance requirements, notify authorities or law enforcement.
- Review and update security policies. After containing the breach, assess and strengthen your security protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future. This could involve patching vulnerabilities, revising access controls, or enhancing employee training.
By following these steps—and your own security protocols—you can quickly identify, contain, and patch security breaches before the damage becomes severe.
The role of third-party services in mobile fleet security
As the threat environment for mobile fleets becomes more severe and complicated, third-party mobile device management services and security tools become more critical than ever. These services extend and uplevel the scope and quality of your device security, ensuring that your fleet becomes, and remains, secured and closely monitored.
PiiComm, for example, offers a comprehensive suite of services tailored to securing enterprise mobile devices. This includes secure decommissioning services, which ensures that devices are thoroughly wiped, SIM cards are destroyed, and all data is permanently removed when devices are due to be disposed of or recycled.
Mobile device management (MDM), furthermore, offers full visibility and control over your fleet of mobile devices for the entire lifecycle of those devices. MDM allows for real-time monitoring, remote updating, and policy enforcement, helping you keep devices up-to-date and secure against emerging threats.
Interested in learning more about PiiComm’s MDM and secure decommissioning service? Read our solution pages, or contact us today to chat about your options.
