Mobile Device Security Enforcement Playbook

December 17, 20234 min read

To assess and improve the security posture of XYZ Corporation regarding mobile devices within the corporate network.
To identify potential security weaknesses that attackers may exploit on mobile platforms.
To train the IT security team on rapid detection, response, and mitigation techniques for threats targeting mobile devices.
To reinforce policies and best practices for mobile device management and security amongst employees.
To ensure compliance with relevant data protection and privacy regulations.

Intermediate to Advanced, depending on the sophistication of the injected threats and the existing level of mobile device security measures.

XYZ Corporation is a mid-sized fintech company that prides itself on its innovative mobile banking platform. With a growing remote workforce and an increasing reliance on mobile technologies for day-to-day operations, XYZ’s board has become increasingly concerned about the potential for security breaches via corporate and personal mobile devices.
The company has recently adopted a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy and issued corporate-owned, personally-enabled (COPE) devices to higher management. Meanwhile, the IT department has flagged a series of suspicious activities that suggest potential vulnerabilities within the mobile device ecosystem.
The company has therefore decided to conduct a Cyber Range exercise, orchestrating a controlled, simulated attack scenario to test their systems and staff against potential mobile device security threats. The exercise will involve the company’s in-house IT security team, along with selected executive staff members who commonly use mobile devices for sensitive transactions.
The objectives are clear: detect and respond to the staged attack, understand how the attack could propagate through mobile devices, and refine the current Mobile Device Management (MDM) and security policies to improve the defense against such threats.

An initial phishing campaign targets selected employees, aiming to compromise mobile devices and infiltrate the company network.
The attackers, simulated by the Cyber Range exercise team, attempt to exploit known vulnerabilities in the mobile operating system and popular mobile applications used by XYZ Corporation employees.
Once the attackers gain access, they aim to escalate privileges and install a rogue MDM profile to control the devices and exfiltrate sensitive data.
The Cyber Range team monitors the effectiveness of XYZ’s network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) and mobile threat defense solutions in real-time, assessing their ability to flag and block suspicious activities.
The compromised devices then attempt to connect to the corporate network, providing a test for XYZ Corporation’s network access controls and response procedures.
Finally, the simulated attackers try to exfiltrate sensitive data from corporate applications accessed through the mobile devices, challenging the company’s data loss prevention (DLP) strategies.
Throughout the exercise, the security team must demonstrate their ability to identify the attack vectors, isolate the compromised devices, and enact countermeasures to prevent data breaches. Post-exercise, the company aims to consolidate its findings into an updated and robust Mobile Device Security Enforcement Playbook, ensuring a greater stance against actual cyber threats.

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