VPN security on mobile devices

Thursday, January 12, 2012

When average people think of computer security, their minds tend to drift toward traditional threats like viruses, hackers, and identity theft. Many people also assume that mobile devices like smartphones are immune to these problems. However, every "smart" device should be considered extremely vulnerable when connecting to a public network, and modern products are improving VPN technology for added security and privacy.

At the recent 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, many mobile technology providers revealed new devices that incorporated advanced VPNs. The products had "security features that deliver enterprise-friendly capabilities to help safeguard sensitive data and communications, including...Virtual Private Network (VPN)." A mobile VPN allows actions like personal banking, account management, and remote monitoring to take place while minimizing the risk of a security breach. Even if an unwanted party were to stumble across the information, the encryption provided underneath a VPN is virtually impregnable, and critical for sensitive industries like healthcare and the government.


VPNs have been in place since the invention of the internet, and were incorporated into mobile devices in the early 21st century. However, the mass development of cloud computing offers new challenges for VPN service providers, and they must take mobile security to the next level in order to succeed.