Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is one of the defining characteristics of the modern mobile workforce but it’s also a weakness many businesses aren’t paying enough attention to. It’s likely many corporate BYOD users have downloaded a hot new app named FaceApp. An AI face editor, this app is rising in popularity all thanks to the FaceApp Challenge — where people leverage the app’s old age filter to appear elderly in photos and post the results on social media. However, the application has also drummed up some discussions around its current privacy permissions,
Sharing More Than Just a Laugh
Though the company has stated no malicious intent, it’s still questionable if access to other data has been given without permission from these users. In any event, the scenario is one that keeps security practitioners up at night. Unsecured mobile devices are an easy entry point to spread malware, obtain credentials and gain access to corporate systems that contain even more sensitive data.
From FaceApp to Fending Off Threats
With apps creating gateways to corporate data, employees need to ensure all their devices have an extra layer of security added. To safeguard an organization’s network, lock down any corporate data, and ensure your CIO can get a decent night’s rest, teams should adopt an agile and intelligent security solution which treats mobile devices like any other endpoint. McAfee MVISION Mobile provides an always-on defense for iOS and Android devices and analyzes deviations surrounding device behavior to make determinations about indicators of compromise to accurately identify advanced threats. For those who are transitioning to a more tactical threat hunting role and exploring Endpoint Detection and Response tools (EDR) ignoring mobile security or using an approach that doesn’t integrate with endpoint platforms and EDR tools will pose another problem – a window of opportunity for threat actors. Mobile security is more than just a checkbox for an elevated approach to security. Like a good soldier on the frontlines that notifies his commander of the enemy’s approach, mobile security needs to elevate alerts to the SecurityOperations team. EDR that relies on manual correlation of mobile defense alerts or observations will extend the opportunity for an attacker to move from the mobile device to more critical systems.
Before the next FaceApp challenge emerges, I encourage you to evaluate your mobile device coverage. Is it automating actions and moving quickly when malicious apps or connections attempt to reach your corporate network through a mobile device? Does your current approach to mobile security elevate critical events to your security team? If not, it might be time to consider a more integrated approach that elevates your security posture with the insights to identify the next potential threat before it becomes a headline.
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Article Link: https://securingtomorrow.mcafee.com/business/endpoint-security/faceapp-the-app-that-ages-your-employees-and-your-cio/