Telecoms company warns of cyber risks

A Shropshire telecoms company is urging people to keep personal and business information separate and to ensure greater security to avoid the growing risk of cyber attack.

The warning from Pure Telecom comes as an increasing number of people are opting for the convenience of working away from the office and using phones and tablets which may not be secure.

Your personal and business information may be at risk in a double-whammy if you use your phone or tablet for this joint purpose. You could also be contravening the new and tougher data protection laws which came in at the end of May.

David Hayward, managing director of Pure Telecom based in Shrewsbury, said: “This is a growing threat and we are urging people to think about the consequences of having their data stolen.

“A recent survey found that 39% of people have downloaded malware onto a phone or a tablet and that around 10 million mobile devices are lost and stolen throughout the United Kingdom each year.

“The highly technological world we live in today allows us more freedom in when and how we work and it can be an extremely attractive proposition to work away from the office, or even not to have an office at all, but there are risks.

“We know people are using the same devices for work and to store their personal information. While it can be of tremendous benefit to the efficiency and economic viability of a business to endorse this flexibility, it can also leave corporate data open to attack.

“MaaS360 is a quick and easy way to make sure all mobile devices are secure. It prevents the bad things from getting in and the good things from leaking out of your corporate network.

“It gives you strong security over stored content on your phone or tablet while still allowing you to carry out your day-to-day needs simply and efficiently. Maas360 is a leading Mobile Device Management solution and is a must for businesses who have a mobile workforce.

“It has the capability of detecting, analysing and remedying threats before they strike and can support a network from 100s to tens of thousands of users with the latest devices and security available.  Additionally, it helps you track and monitor data usage giving you a better insight into future mobile contract needs.

“The latest GDPR laws mean we now have to be more careful and more responsible with the data we keep and use in our daily routines, but it goes a lot deeper than that. There is always someone who is looking for a weakness in stealing data for fraudulent purposes so it’s vital we do all we can to prevent that and save ourselves a great deal of distress and inconvenience in the process.”

Pictured: Pure Telecom managing director David Hayward