Has Your Employee’s Dating App Compromised Your Trade Secrets?
Have your employees downloaded dating apps to their Smartphones?
If so, they could be exposing your company to hacking, spying, and theft.
Last week, IBM issued a study highlighting the risks posed by dating apps. The company’s security researchers analyzed 41 dating apps on Google’s Android mobile platform. Of these apps, 26 had medium or high severity vulnerabilities.
As IBM’s security researchers explained, the dating apps could compromise a company in a number of ways. Hackers could create fake profiles and send bogus “phishing” messages to employees, which could steal valuable information or install malware. A phone’s camera or microphone could be activated remotely, allowing someone to eavesdrop on confidential business meetings. An employee’s whereabouts could be tracked via the phone’s GPS.
Companies are more at risk than they realize. In IBM’s study, nearly 50 percent of the companies analyzed had employees that had used vulnerable dating apps. About 31 million Americans have used a dating site or app. Since the use of dating apps is so prevalent, every company should be taking action to minimize its potential liability.
If you issue Smartphones to your employees, consider restricting the ability to download dating apps.
If you have a Bring Your Own Device policy and allow employees to use personal mobile devices for work purposes, inform your employees about the risks associated with dating apps.
If you have questions about regulating the use of mobile devices in the workplace or mitigating cyber security risks, contact our office at 814-870-7600 or complete this form on our website.
If so, they could be exposing your company to hacking, spying, and theft.
Last week, IBM issued a study highlighting the risks posed by dating apps. The company’s security researchers analyzed 41 dating apps on Google’s Android mobile platform. Of these apps, 26 had medium or high severity vulnerabilities.
As IBM’s security researchers explained, the dating apps could compromise a company in a number of ways. Hackers could create fake profiles and send bogus “phishing” messages to employees, which could steal valuable information or install malware. A phone’s camera or microphone could be activated remotely, allowing someone to eavesdrop on confidential business meetings. An employee’s whereabouts could be tracked via the phone’s GPS.
Companies are more at risk than they realize. In IBM’s study, nearly 50 percent of the companies analyzed had employees that had used vulnerable dating apps. About 31 million Americans have used a dating site or app. Since the use of dating apps is so prevalent, every company should be taking action to minimize its potential liability.
If you issue Smartphones to your employees, consider restricting the ability to download dating apps.
If you have a Bring Your Own Device policy and allow employees to use personal mobile devices for work purposes, inform your employees about the risks associated with dating apps.
If you have questions about regulating the use of mobile devices in the workplace or mitigating cyber security risks, contact our office at 814-870-7600 or complete this form on our website.