There are several security vulnerabilities that commonly exist on corporate information technology networks.
One such vulnerability exists in employee smartphones that use Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GSM wireless. According to consultant Robert Hansen, a hacker could use a Bluetooth sniper rifle to read a phone's Bluetooth signal from a mile away, which in turn would allow him to access the phone's Wi-Fi signal and the corporate network.
Hansen said that companies can protect themselves from this and other types of attacks that target smartphones by only allowing approved devices on their networks.
Another common vulnerability exists in network printers, which can be equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities as well as 3G access and telephone lines for faxes.
Hansen notes that hackers could break into corporate networks through one of the printer's open ports. He says that in order to protect against such attacks, companies should disable the wireless capabilities on printers or close all ports on a printer to prevent unauthorized access.
Other security weaknesses of note include custom-developed Web applications with bad code, social network spoofing, workers downloading illegal movies and music, and SMS text messaging spoofs and malware infections.