What is Cyber Defense
for Mobile Communications
Cyber Defense for mobile communications involves safeguarding mobile devices and networks from cyber threats and also ensuring resilience. It encompasses strategies, technologies, and protocols to protect sensitive data and communications while ensuring their availability everywhere, at all times.
Rising Risks for Smartphones
Cyber threats against smartphones surged by 500% in 2022 (Ponemon Institute), encompassing malware, phishing, ransomware, with attacks costing as little as a hundred dollars. IoT devices also faced a 100% increase in attacks in the first half of 2021 (Barracuda networks). To counter these rising risks, Cyber Defense employs advanced techniques to safeguard smartphones, including proactive threat detection, real-time monitoring, and rapid response measures.
Safeguarding Mobile Assets
Cyber attacks massively target assets such as IoT devices, connected cars, and M2M devices. Cyber Defense safeguards these assets by fortifying network security, securing devices, and encrypting data in transit. These measures effectively thwart attacks, preserving data integrity and ensuring the uninterrupted functionality of diverse connected entities, ranging from industrial equipment to smart home devices.
What is Cyber Defense forMobile Communications
Cyber Defense is the proactive and multidimensional approach to fortifying digital systems and data against a broad spectrum of cyber threats. It encompasses advanced threat detection, intrusion prevention, rapid incident response, robust data encryption, stringent access control, continuous monitoring, risk assessment, and compliance with regulations, all working together to create an agile and resilient digital defense ecosystem. It is also an ongoing and dynamic process, that evolves in response to the ever-changing landscape of cyber security risks.
How to Make the Right Choice?
Cyber defense for mobile communication encompasses diverse solution types:
Mobile Device Security : Enforces security policies, installs security updates, and facilitates remote device wiping. However, it may present vulnerability to device-level attacks and exhibit limited visibility into device usage.
Security of communication content through End-to-End Encryption (E2EE): Encrypts all data transmitted over the mobile network. However, it may hinder legitimate investigations, involve complexity and raise potential user privacy concerns.
Secure Mobile Infrastructure (SMI): Detects attacks and protects the mobile network infrastructure itself, offering robust protection and the possibility of combining with resilience services
Glossary
- Attack Surface: Attack surfaces are potential entry points to vulnerable systems, often exploited by cybercriminals to launch attacks.
- Attack Vector: Attack vectors are the means by which attackers target vulnerabilities, such as malware or phishing attacks.
- Types of Attacks: Refers to the different methods and techniques used by attackers to compromise the security of computer systems, networks, and data. Examples include: Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, phishing attacks, ransomware, and many others.
SIM Card (Subscriber Identity Module): It is a chip used in mobile phones and other devices to authenticate securely and connect to a mobile network.
eSIM (Embedded SIM): It is a digital SIM card integrated into a device that can be remotely programmed with the authentication settings of the mobile operator.
MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator): It is a company that offers mobile telephony services using the infrastructure and networks of an existing mobile operator (MNO).
Mobile Network Security: Involves protecting the integrity and confidentiality of data and communications transmitted over mobile networks.
Sovereign Network: It is a secure and independent infrastructure located within national territory, used for critical communications.
IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity): It is a unique number assigned to each SIM card in a mobile network. It is used to uniquely identify subscribers.
- Protection: Protection involves implementing security measures to safeguard systems and data from cyber threats.
- Detection: Detection is the process of identifying and monitoring for potential security threats.
- Alerts: Alerts are notifications generated by security systems to inform users of potential security incidents.
Spoofing: It is a technique where attackers falsify their identity to gain unauthorized access or deceive users.
Denial of Service: It is a deliberate attempt to make a service, website, or application unavailable by overwhelming the target server with a significant amount of traffic or requests in order to saturate it.
Tracking: It is the monitoring and tracking of a user's online activities without their consent.
Interception: It is the unauthorized access and capture of data during their transmission.
Spamming: It is the mass and unsolicited sending of emails, text messages, or other forms of electronic communication with the aim of distributing malware or online scams.
Man In The Middle (MitM): It is a technique used in computer security where an attacker secretly inserts themselves between two parties communicating with each other. The attacker can intercept, alter, or even inject data into the communication without the parties knowing.
IMSI Catching (International Mobile Subscriber Identity): It is a surveillance technique that intercepts the international mobile subscriber identity number (IMSI) of a mobile device.
- Firewalling: Firewalling refers to the use of firewalls to protect networks by controlling incoming and outgoing traffic.
- Signaling Protocols: Signaling protocols are used in telecommunication networks to establish, manage, and terminate connections.
Virus: It is a computer program capable of reproducing itself by infecting other files or programs. Viruses can cause damage by deleting files, corrupting data, or slowing down the system.
Worms: These are standalone programs that can spread from one computer to another via computer networks. Worms can spread quickly and cause damage by saturating the network or exploiting security vulnerabilities.
Trojans: These are malicious programs disguised as legitimate software. Trojans can open a backdoor on a system, allowing an attacker to remotely access the computer, install other malware, or steal data.
Spyware: These are programs designed to monitor a user's activity on a computer system without their consent. Spyware can collect personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or internet browsing habits.
Ransomware: These are malicious programs that encrypt files on a computer system and then demand a ransom to provide the decryption key. Ransomware can cause significant data loss and financial damage to victims.
Zero-Day: It is a software vulnerability exploited by attackers before a patch or solution is available.
Zero-click: It is an attack that does not require any direct intervention from the user. Unlike traditional attacks that may require the victim to click on a link, download a file, or execute malicious software, zero-click attacks often exploit vulnerabilities or flaws in software systems.
Jailbreak: It is a process of bypassing the restrictions imposed by the operating system of a mobile device.
APT (Advanced Persistent Threat): It is a targeted and long-term attack, usually conducted by hacker groups backed by nation-states. They use sophisticated techniques to discreetly infiltrate systems and remain undetected for long periods while exfiltrating sensitive data.
Your Shield Against the Rise of Cyber Risks
It is common to think that mobile communications are immune to cyber attacks, believing these only affect states or large organizations. In reality, all devices are highly exposed. For instance, it is estimated that 1 in 10 phones is infected with malware. Other figures reveal the significant prevalence of cyber crime in mobile communications.
