Walter Grudi
President, Grudi Associates

Failure to take preventive actions could expose your business to this level of threat:

"The average annual cost of mobile incidents for enterprises, including data loss, damage to the brand, productivity loss, and loss of customer trust was USD $429,000 for enterprise. The average annual cost of mobile incidents for small businesses was USD $126,000." Symantec State of Mobile Computing Survey

In a newly released mobile security report, Grudi Associates discusses how smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices may be at risk from viruses, malware and malicious software. The report outlines potential threats, symptoms and steps users can take to avoid and address malware. Download the report at http://bit.ly/GAmsreport.

"The first step to mitigating the threat that mobile security poses for businesses is to understand the situation," says Walt Grudi, President of Grudi Associates, a leading provider of telecom and IT services in Central PA and beyond. "Unfortunately, the news is not good, but there are steps that can be taken to effectively address mobile security."

• • 76% of respondents who use mobile devices in the workplace say that they believe these devices introduce serious security risks.

• • Only 39% say they have mitigating security controls in place, even though they are aware of the risks.

• • 59% say they have seen an increase in malware infections over the past 12 months due to unsecured smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. Almost a third of them said the increase was over 50%.

Many of the same types of threats that have plagued personal computers for years are now being introduced into mobile devices. A sampling includes:

• • Worms/Trojans

• • Exploit Kits

• • Botnets

• • Phishing

• • Search Engine Poisoning

• • Jailbreaking

• • Bluesnarfing

Download Grudi Associates' Mobile Security report to read more.

“Most people are unaware of the magnitude and significance of these threats because they are not familiar with the symptoms,” says Grudi. “They often attribute the effects of malware to other issues by mistake.”

Common symptoms are included in the report.

Businesses should take threats to mobile devices as seriously as they do to their other IT and communication systems. The dramatic increases in mobile data capabilities that are providing many benefits are also creating a high-risk entry point into enterprise networks and data sources for hackers and data criminals. The report offers a variety of precautions and steps that can be taken to effectively address these threats. A list of antivirus and antimalware applications for iOS, Android and BlackBerry is included.

“It’s dangerous out there for mobile devices, but if businesses and users do the right things, most of these threats can be avoided,” says Grudi. “The key is to be informed, take action and get help from professionals if in doubt.”

Download Grudi Associates’ report: Mobile Security - Be Safe or Be Sorry.

Grudi Associates provides a broad range of telecom and IT services that help businesses and organizations connect and communicate more effectively. Through strategic partnerships with national and regional providers, Grudi Associates delivers innovative and cost-saving wireless, data, Internet, local and long distance, telecom management and hosted solutions. By providing its customers with a single point of contact for virtually any need, Grudi Associates delivers innovative solutions and simplified telecommunications.