Mobile Endpoint Security: Why Enhancing EDR for Mobile is Critical

Do you know how secure your organization’s mobile devices are? You may have a handle on your on-premises device and network security, but the rise of remote employee access and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies has created new security challenges. 

Many organizations rely on endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to keep their traditional endpoints secure, but these solutions often don’t prioritize mobile endpoint security. Here, we’ll explore the challenges of protecting mobile devices and their users from cyber attacks, why expanding EDR to mobile devices is so important, and how your organization can leverage EDR solutions to protect all your devices.

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The challenges of mobile endpoint security

Mobile devices are everywhere — a 2024 report by Verizon found that 80% of businesses surveyed consider access to smartphones and tablets critical to maintaining operations. Their ubiquity adds exponential challenges to your security efforts, especially as cyber attackers ramp up their efforts against mobile devices. Any EDR solution that you rely on must take these into account:

• Network access: It’s much easier to monitor network access on premises. However, mobile devices, by their very nature, can go anywhere and access essential files through the cloud. According to the Lookout Remote Work Report, 92% of remote workers use their personal devices for work tasks. While the end user might not be concerned about how secure the Wi-Fi network is at their local coffee shop, co-working station, or at home, you have to be. You must ensure that malicious actors aren’t able to intercept data through these connections.
• Lack of control: If your organization controls the device, you have many options, whether pushing out over-the-air security updates or remotely locking down and wiping the device before an attack spreads. You will not have the same level of control over an employee’s personal device — yet they can often access the same secure data from a phone or tablet as they would through the computer at their desk. 
• Mobile device as attack vector: The attack surface has never been larger. While a personal mobile device likely won’t store secure data, many cyber attacks use these devices as an on-ramp to deeper systems. Phishing attempts and sideloaded apps can provide login credentials to malicious actors, who can then use them to access sensitive parts of your infrastructure.

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Why enhancing EDR for mobile is so important

Endpoint detection and response solutions that only cover traditional desktop and laptop computers are no longer enough. You need a tool that will also consider the unique access and attack methods inherent to mobile devices. A mobile-forward EDR solution will help you:

• Stay up to date with the latest threats: Mobile threats evolve every day. Rather than trying to keep up with them manually, your mobile EDR solution should automatically add emerging security threats and tactics to its database so you can detect and respond to them in real time.
• View detailed telemetry: Gain deeper insight into all devices and their associated risk when interacting with your network through a single pane of glass.
• Set access policies: Want to limit access to specific devices, users, or networks? Set automated policies to ensure only low-risk devices can view or interact with sensitive data and systems. 
• Get alerts on critical security risks: Mobile EDR systems analyze mobile device behavior to detect anomalies and suspicious activity. They will automatically alert your team, enabling them to respond by sending user warning messages or implementing device lockout procedures.

How does EDR work?

Typically, EDR systems rely on a software agent to monitor and detect activity on the device. Security teams install these agents onto their managed devices, which allows EDR solutions to collect telemetry data about who is accessing the device and what is being accessed. EDR systems then present this information to your team, along with an analysis of the potential security risk for each device. 

If the device experiences a potential threat, the EDR solution detects and responds to it depending on the severity of the threat. Most of the time, EDR will alert your team and allow them to respond if necessary. However, if the threat is severe, EDR systems can lock down the endpoint to prevent further access.

Mobile EDR systems work in much the same way, using a software agent installed onto  smartphones or tablets. Some mobile EDR systems also rely on threat intelligence — which relies on a combination of human and AI-powered detection systems — to proactively track and respond to emerging threats on both managed and BYOD devices. 

What threats does your EDR need to cover?

Mobile threats go beyond standard malware attacks. Your security team must be able to monitor for, prevent, and respond to a variety of threats, including: 

• Social engineering:  Malicious actors might pretend to be a member of your IT department or create a login screen that mimics one your employees might use to gain access to credentials or data. This process is more common than you may think — 75% of organizations experienced mobile phishing attempts targeting their employees, according to a recent Lookout survey. 
• Malicious apps: In 2023, Google prevented 2.28 million “policy-violating apps” from appearing on Google Play. Even with the efforts Apple and Google take to keep compromised apps from appearing on their storefronts, they can still end up on either managed or BYOD devices and pose significant security risks. End users might not think much of sideloading apps onto their devices, but these unauthorized programs can steal sensitive data, log keystrokes or button presses, or install malware to take control of the user’s device.
• Misconfigurations or outdated hardware: According to the Lookout Mobile Threat Landscape Report, 20% of iOS users haven’t updated their mobile devices to the latest version, which means they’re missing critical security features that could prevent cyber attacks. And if their device is too old, they might not even be able to install those security updates in the first place.

EDR vs antivirus: Which one offers the best protection?

Using antivirus solutions to protect mobile devices is better than nothing. However, antivirus programs deal largely with known threats and are only as effective as the provider's speed in pushing out updates. These programs can detect malware in known signatures but cannot protect against zero-day threats until their signatures are added to the antivirus database.

Mobile EDR, on the other hand, uses a combination of real-time monitoring and machine learning detection systems to catch known and emerging threats that would otherwise fall through the cracks with antivirus software. EDR can also analyze user or program behavior to detect suspicious activity, flag it, and then alert your security team to respond. As cyber threats evolve on a regular basis, EDR solutions remain the most effective way to secure your systems against a data breach.

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Expand endpoint security for mobile devices with Lookout

If you’re looking for ways to include mobile endpoint security in your tech stack or improve your current approach, Lookout can help. Lookout Mobile Endpoint Security offers unparalleled threat intelligence and visibility into your entire mobile attack surface, protecting both managed and BYOD devices. It scans your infrastructure using the world’s largest mobile security dataset to safeguard against known and emerging threats, including phishing campaigns and malware. It’s an essential weapon in your fight against cyber threats.

Want to learn more about why enhancing EDR for mobile devices is so important or whether your current security stance is up to snuff? Download a free copy of The Mobile EDR Playbook today.

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