The number of smartphone owners has dramatically increased in the twentieth century. Mobile devices have made communication easy, reduced the time taken in research, and enabled people living in different geographical regions to connect by just logging on to their social networking sites. However, not everyone understands the risks they are created by owning mobile devices. They lack knowledge in both offline and online risky behaviors that may lead them to lose valuable data or become victims of mobile devices fraud. Also, they do not understand they consider themselves to be at risk of cybercrimes. With the increase of interest in cybersecurity, various scholars have researched on how mobile devices lead to cybersecurity and how cybersecurity issues can be addressed. Therefore, the paper explains issues on cybersecurity based on an analysis of four articles. The paper argues that hackers and unauthorized access are the leading cybersecurity issues in mobile devices hence they should be addressed through installing the correct security assumptions in the design phase, some level of access denial, consistently changing passwords, and applying ‘fence me in’ methods.

Mobile devices hackers

The increase in the popularity of mobile devices has created many opportunities for hackers. According to David Bennet, trends on smartphones show that they have a larger storage capacity, multiple connectivity options, and numerous compatible applications which make them obvious targets for hackers. Therefore, hackers focus on developing malicious applications to attack mobile devices. In his article, Managing Cyber Security Risks, Jeff Dew argues that the popularity of the use of mobile devices in the twenty-first century also created a platform for the development of computer viruses. He reports that research in 2011 by F-Secure, an anti-virus software developer, showed that the number of malicious computer applications had doubled when compared to the level in 2004. Another research by Imgraben, Englelbrecht, and Choo in 2014 shows that there are at least eight thousand mobile devices malware. Few mobile devices know of the existence of malware in their mobile devices. Imgraben et al. reports that only 9.6% of the respondents indicated that they knew their phones had malware. Meaning, the mobile phones of those who did not know the existence of malware were at risk of losing sensitive data and credentials.

Unauthorized access

Unauthorized access involves wrongfully accessing a computer program, server, website, or system using the credentials of another person or other methods not known by the authorized user. Imgraben et al. reports that, apart from mobile devices hackers, unauthorized access is another cybersecurity threat to mobile device users which has led to many big organizations to lose sensitive data to people who use it for the benefit of competitors.  They analyzed unauthorized access in the organizational context. According to them, unauthorized access is a serious threat to employees who have their credentials or sensitive data on their mobile devices. They noted that such scenarios get worse when employees leave their devices unattended in public places. The issue of leaving mobile devices with sensitive data and credentials unattended is linked to using the ‘remember me’ feature so that one does not always have to input login credentials and passwords anytime they are accessing a site or system. Imgraben et al. established that at least 46.4 % of the respondents used the feature. Admittedly, most people do not like to remember passwords every time they access a system continually. Therefore, they opt to save their passwords on browsers. While it saves them from the time and stress of renewing a password in case they forget, it is classified as a risky cyberspace behaver.

Addressing cybersecurity issues in mobile devices

Cybersecurity issues in mobile devices can be reduced when manufacturers use the correct considerations and security assumptions in access. According to Richard Clark, manufacturers should view the phones when the process is at the design phase. He believes that it will significantly affect their perception of ease in access to the users’ interface. Also, being that mobile devices get lost or replaced, it eliminates the need for redesigning user interface. Clark provides that one of the correct security assumptions in mobile devices involves properly registering User Access Portals with the domain of the control system.  Then, the users who have been registered get a different privilege compared to user access portals that are not registered.

Another method involves denying access to devices that are not listed to access the system. According to Clark, it is safer for organizational systems if it assigns functionality and content to specific devices. He believes that part from preventing unauthorized devices from accessing the system, it will ensure that mobile devices access the system within the limits of authentication.

Also, changing passwords continually will help in ensuring that every employee adheres to the best practices of cybersecurity. Most people leave their passwords unchanged for a long time which make it easy for a hacker to trail. Therefore, Clark recommends that organizations should maintain using the best cybersecurity practices like continually changing passwords. Alternatively, Clark suggests that organizations should use encryption or approved an application to establish the authentication status of the mobile device accessing a particular system.

Further, fencing restrictions should be used to ensure that mobile devices obtain location-based content. In cybersecurity, fencing is a form of restriction on mobile phones. According to Richard Clark, fencing is found in all mobile devices and is applied to every user regardless of the level of privilege in accessing the system.  It has many provisions that enable a mobile device to stay from cybersecurity issues.  For example, it denies device access to a system unless the user is within a specific location.  Also, it enables users to provide acknowledge alarms which ask the user to confirm if he/she is the one using the system and has opted to access it from a different location.  The Fence me in options is created through Wi-Fi triangulation of the system portals. Alternatively, it can be formed through the coordination of the Global Positioning System (GPS).

In conclusion, cybersecurity issues in mobile devices have increased interest in research on how systems, websites, and portals can remain secure regardless of the presence of hackers or unauthorized access. Being that research shows that there is a significant increase in the number of mobile device users, now more than ever, it is essential to adhere to cybersecurity best practices. While the four articles have addressed mobile devices security issues, Richard Clark’s article provided extensive explanations on how they can be resolved.  Thus, it is essential for future research in cybersecurity to provide evidenced-based solutions.

 
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