Access Control in the World of Mobile Computing

Redefining Access Control in the World of Mobile Computing

March 24, 2022
| Network Security

At the end of 2021, there were an estimated 27.1 billion devices online, meaning that there were over three devices for every person on the planet (Cisco, 2016). Mobile devices, especially smartphones, are universal credential hosting platforms that can be used for a variety of physical access control applications (Henriquez, 2019). Using a smartphone to open doors, manage access rights, and view input events makes buildings more convenient and secure (Secure Technology Alliance, 2021).

As the number of smartphone owners continues to increase, cell phones are becoming a convenient and secure way to manage access to warehouses and other buildings. Mobile access control refers to the use of mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches, as tenant credentials to access a building and rooms within it (Kim, 2021). Mobile application management is the monitoring and maintenance of applications on mobile devices (Dowden, 2021).

As mobile technology advances, mobile devices are utilized increasingly often to access business data for reasons of convenience and efficiency. Consequently, in many companies, people are using smartphones to handle sensitive information. To protect user privacy and company intellectual property, access to this data must be restricted.

Organizations can take various steps to prevent these issues, such as enforcing password protection and educating employees about the dangers of (for example) using public Wi-Fi networks, which are vulnerable to hackers. However, these steps cannot ensure the holistic protection that companies need (VMware, n.d.).

EC-Council’s Certified Network Defender (C|ND) certification is a course created by industry experts to train IT professionals to proactively protect servers and networks against cyberthreats. The C|ND program doesn’t just teach cybersecurity professionals to respond to threats as they happen—it explains how to actively predict and address problems before access is breached.

Mobile Security Solutions

Mobile ID solutions are more expensive than physical badges. Many smartphone devices have face ID or touch ID, which certainly makes logging in easier and more efficient (Anderson, 2021). The advantage of using biometric security is that users do not need to remember passwords or other complex combinations for authentication in order to prevent intruders from accessing their devices (Dowden, 2021). In a system with strong biometric security, only the primary user can access the smartphone (Souppaya & Scarfone, 2013). For these security tools to function properly, however, organizations must securely configure and deploy every layer of the technology stack, including mobile hardware, firmware, operating systems, management agents, and applications used to achieve business goals. Organizations need to be mindful of proper mobile device security, which is why certification programs like the C|ND course are essential (Franklin et al., 2019).

Managing Risk at Work

Managing mobile security requires the type of anticipatory approach found in the C|ND curriculum. Cybersecurity professionals manage risk most effectively when they have a framework for risk assessment based on a comprehensive network defense system. A security-focused understanding of the role of mobile devices in the workplace should be shared among IT administrators, network engineers, data analysts, and network technicians. Using proper risk management, organizations can control systems remotely without issuing physical access cards or keys. Organizations can also connect their access control systems to any device using the internet and manage elevator access using a mobile system, ensuring that only authorized tenants can access certain floors (Kim, 2021). In addition to conventional building entrances, this provides property managers and employees with an easy and efficient way to manage access rights. The C|ND course teaches cybersecurity professionals how to manage mobile security, protect their data systems, and create a security-conscious corporate culture. In a device-focused world, companies must implement strict security protocols to ensure that the freedom granted by mobile devices is not exploited for nefarious purposes. To learn more about how to secure and optimize networks today and the value of taking a proactive security stance, contact EC-Council about getting C|ND certified today.
References

Anderson, L. (2021, June 24). What are the challenges and benefits of mobile access control? SecurityInformed. https://www.securityinformed.com/insights/challenges-benefits-mobile-access-control-co-420-ga-co-857-ga-co-1645-ga-co-2566-ga-co-2736-ga-co-2785-ga-co-3123-ga-co-5589-ga-co-6145-ga-co-14545-ga-co-1585201414-ga-off.1624523847.html

Cisco. (2016). VNI complete forecast highlights. https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/m/en_us/solutions/service-provider/vni-forecast-highlights/pdf/Global_2021_Forecast_Highlights.pdf

Dowden, H. (2021, December 16). The 7 mobile device security best practices you should know for 2022. Ntiva. https://www.ntiva.com/blog/top-7-mobile-device-security-best-practices

Franklin, J., Bowler, K., Brown, C., Dog, S. E., Edwards, S., McNab, N., Steele, M., & MITRE Corporation. (2019). Mobile device security: Cloud and hybrid builds (NIST Special Publication 1800-4B, Vol. B). National Institute of Standards and Technology. https://www.nccoe.nist.gov/publication/1800-4/VolB/

Henriquez, M. (2019, June 3). Reporting and administrating: Manage physical access control from mobile devices. Security Magazine. https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/90314-reporting-and-administrating-manage-physical-access-control-from-mobile-devices

Kim, S. (2021, December 21). Mobile access control: 2022 guide for building owners & managers. ButterflyMX. https://butterflymx.com/blog/mobile-access-control/

Secure Technology Alliance. (2021). Using mobile devices for physical access control [White paper]. https://www.securetechalliance.org/publications-using-mobile-devices-for-physical-access-control

Souppaya, M., & Scarfone, K. (2013). Guidelines for managing the security of mobile devices in the enterprise (NIST Special Publication 800-124, Revision 1). National Institute of Standards and Technology. https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/specialpublications/nist.sp.800-124r1.pdf

VMware. (n.d.) AC-19 access control for mobile devices. Tanzu Docs. Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://docs.pivotal.io/nist/ac/ac-19.html

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