TÜV AUSTRIA Group Member TÜV TRUST IT GmbH, a specialist in information security and data protection for industrial companies, misses the perception of mobile devices as a precarious gateway into critical IT infrastructures.

Heise.de reports that the data of tens of thousands of credit card users has appeared on the Internet. News channel n-tv recently reported more than 1,000 mobile apps that are supposed to access user data without being noticed. In another critical incident, data from 100 million US bank customers was stolen in a cyber attack. A clear threat to business and industry, says TÜV TRUST IT, the cyber-security division of the Austrian TÜV AUSTRIA Group: “All levels of the company structure are affected,” explains Detlev Henze, TÜV TRUST IT Managing Director.

The cyber-security specialist identifies users’ unequaled convenience over a lack of awareness of malpractice: “While mobile devices are connecting more and more people around the world, they are increasingly removing the underlying problem: no one is paying attention to the infrastructure behind them.” Henze speaks from experience “There are companies that pay attention to security, are prepared for attacks and are prepared, but there are also those who feel safe. A deceptive security. ”

When using mobile apps by employees, care must be taken to ensure that not all built-protection mechanisms are compromised – but this is just a necessary step by many, the TÜV TRUST IT Manager knows: “We are talking about the awareness that a compromised IT Infrastructure for the affected company is acutely threatening existence.”

Of course, TÜV TRUST IT has been auditing apps for years according to its own “TÜV Trusted App” scheme, so that they meet the security requirements of today, but as the consciousness itself, the solution must be global in nature.
“A single point of entry – whether a mobile phone, a tablet, an e-mail – jeopardises the information values, the investment capital up to production and customer data”, says Detlev Henze, highlighting the starting point of tomorrow’s industrial IT: “Only through integrated solutions can such a gateway closed and – at best – be avoided at all “.

“The growth of threats and the demands of the market share a menacing acceleration,” states Detlev Henze. “Ask a CIO who communicates with his server at that very moment on the Internet. He will often be unable to answer that question. For this reason, the ever-growing complexity of critical IT infrastructures should not be an excuse, but must be the driver of ongoing evaluations by independent experts. ”

TÜV TRUST IT has been developing its technical services for many years, including for the industrial environment, in order to counteract the ever increasing dangers.