[Isabelle Tubbs]

Assessing the vulnerabilities of mobile and physical devices and can be helpful for coming up with ways to prevent attacks that exploit those vulnerabilities.

One vulnerability involves the type of network used on a mobile or physical device. If someone is connected to a public network or is simply sharing information insecurely, that leaves the device vulnerable to attacks. To prevent this, it can be helpful to use virtual private networks and encrypted messaging so that the messages cannot be intercepted (Cyserch, n.d.). Users, who may not know about these options or vulnerabilities, should be informed on how they can use their devices more securely.

A vulnerability that can easily come up on mobile devices involves configuring app permissions (Cyserch, n.d.). When someone downloads an app, the app typically sends some pop-ups asking for certain permissions. It can be easy to just say yes to all of them, but this is not safe. Some permissions must be enabled to use the app. For example, it makes sense that the camera app needs permission to take photos and videos and access photo and video files. However, if a new weather app or gaming app is asking for it, this should probably be denied. As a result, users should be informed that they should check their app permissions regularly to make sure they are only enabling the permissions that are absolutely necessary (Cyserch, n.d.).

Finally, the physical theft of someone’s device is a big device threat (Cyserch, n.d.). Naturally, physical measures should be in place so that devices are not stolen, but if those fail, there should be other measures in place. For example, encrypting the data on a device, placing strong authentication measures, and enabling remote wipes on a device can prevent someone from being able to steal the information even if they have the device with them (Cyserch, n.d.).

There are many potential vulnerabilities to devices that should be acknowledged, but there are also many ways to protect information. There is not one method that can make everything secure, but using a combination of security measures can prevent a lot of attacks.

References
Cyserch. (n.d.). Common Vulnerabilities in Mobile: An In-Depth Guide. Retrieved May 9, 2025 from https://www.cyserch.com/blog/Common-Vulnerabilities-in-Mobile-:-An-In-Depth-Guide