The NSA’s Guidelines on Mobile Security

The United States National Security Agency, or NSA, is well known for its expertise in cybersecurity. So, when the NSA releases practices to help keep mobile devices more secure, it's smart to pay attention to what it says.

Let’s examine a few of their shared practices and see what we can learn.

What Does the NSA Recommend for Mobile Device Security?

All of the advice here, and more, comes from a free download that the NSA has provided that explores the many features of today’s mobile devices and how, if a user isn’t careful, these features can be used to undermine that device’s security. While some are pretty well-known (at least, for cybersecurity best practices), some are those that many might not consider.

Common Mobile Device Security Safeguards

• Passwords/PINs—We’ve been known to discuss the importance of secure passwords and personal identification numbers, and it seems the NSA shares our opinion. Their advice is to lock devices automatically after five minutes of inactivity and wipe all data after ten incorrect attempts to input a six-digit access code.
• Software updates—According to the NSA, all updates to mobile device operating systems and applications should be installed “as soon as possible."
• Application selectivity—The NSA also warns against providing any one application with too much data, leaving apps open while not in use, and installing more applications than are strictly necessary. The agency also states that only official application stores should be used to download applications.
• Location services—These capabilities should be disabled whenever they are not actively being used, as should connections like Wi-Fi and BluetoothⓇ.

Advanced Mobile Device Security Safeguards

• Speak softly—The NSA recommends that you avoid discussing sensitive topics near your mobile devices without the protection of encrypted secure voice capabilities.
• Pick a protective case—When selecting a case for your mobile device, the NSA recommends one with a camera shield for when you are not using the camera that blocks the room’s ambient audio.
• Leave the device alone—As tempting as it may be for some to jailbreak or root their mobile device to install unapproved applications or delve deeper into the OS, the vulnerabilities this introduces are not worth the benefits, so this should be avoided.
• Be specific about accessories—According to the NSA, only trusted accessories should be connected to a mobile device, never public ones. This includes public charging stations.

It is Easy to Leave Yourself Vulnerable to Threats

With cyberattacks constantly marching on to capitalize on vulnerabilities, steal data, and hurt businesses, it is more critical than ever that your business’ technology is properly and comprehensively secured. We can help. Call us at (415) 246-0101 to learn more about what we can do to improve your productivity and security.