Cell phones capabilities and threats
Cell phones – notably smart phones – have become indispensible and universal tools for business and personal use. The number of worldwide smart phone users passed the one billion mark in late 2012. By the end of 2013, that number was estimated to be 1.4 billion. That’s an astonishing one in five of the world’s population using a technology that, in so many ways, is still in its infancy. In the United States, more than half of all mobile phones are now smart phones, rather than the simple models of yesteryear.
All but the most basic smart phone models have a wide variety of capabilities that belie the simple term “telephone.” Smart phones do, of course, allow us to talk to each other – to and from virtually anywhere. And the places where they can’t be used are getting fewer. For example, 2013 saw the lifting of many restrictions on the use of electronic devices on aircraft in the USA: e-readers, tablets and smart phones can now be used through all phases of a flight, from boarding to arrival gate. In-flight cell phone calling is still banned, though the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted in December 2013 to consider the lifting of that restriction, also.
But the use of smart phones to talk with each other is just the beginning. They can also be used to send and receive text and email messages – a form of communication that can be less obvious, and more difficult to detect, than a voice call. And beyond that is an array of capabilities that includes the ability to take still photos, to record video and audio, as well as to stream real-time video using an app such as Skype.
Like any tool, a cell phone can be used for innocent and not-so-innocent purposes. Used in the wrong way at wrong time in the wrong place it can, in a wide variety of ways, pose a threat to the security of your organization. As at least one presidential candidate has discovered, remarks intended for a select few can be videoed and, thanks to the World Wide Web and sites such as YouTube, find a worldwide audience that they were never intended to reach. Security concerns may arise any time someone has access to information that should not be widely shared, such as delicate and confidential negotiations, a business presentation that includes sensitive information, or the details of a proprietary manufacturing process.
Cell phone detection is therefore a vital component of any organization’s security. Whenever your visitors have access to confidential information, it is essential for you to be warned if they should decide to turn on their cell phones to record or transmit information when and where they should not. This can be readily accomplished using a cellular phone security system that is capable of detection radio frequency (rf) transmissions and alerting your personnel of a potential security breach.
The consequences of failing to control unauthorized cell phone use can range from mild embarrassment to serious financial or legal repercussions. To counter these threats, it’s essential to deploy the best possible defenses in the form of effective cell phone detection by cell phone detector.
