A security trainer explains the concept of 'defense in depth' for mobile devices. An employee asks which single control would be MOST impactful if they could only implement one. What is the BEST answer?
- A.Running a tunnel client continuously, since it encrypts the traffic leaving the handset and hides the destinations
- B.Installing a paid scanning application, since it checks each package and flags a known family
- C.Switching on storage encryption, since it protects the data at rest and blocks an offline read
- D.Keeping the operating system and apps updated to the latest versions, which closes known vulnerabilities that represent the vast majority of exploitable attack surface on mobile devices
Why D is correct
If forced to choose a single control, keeping the OS and apps patched is the highest-impact mobile security measure. The majority of mobile device compromises exploit known, patched vulnerabilities in outdated software. Security updates close exploitable attack surface gaps. Antivirus has limited mobile efficacy and can be evaded. Full-disk encryption protects data at rest but not an active compromised device. A VPN protects network traffic but not local exploit-based attacks or malicious app behavior.
Know someone studying for Mobile Security Fundamentals? Send them this one.