Tag: mobile security

Mobile security could be put to the test next year as digital threats increase

The past year has been somewhat turbulent in terms of security. Throughout 2014, major security breaches have become headline news and high-profile cyber attacks have highlighted a lack of security that exists in the business world, particularly when it comes to mobile technology. Mobile security is something that receives relatively little attention from consumers, but as more cyber attacks attract attention, many people may be ready to take steps to protect their mobile devices, especially if they are participating in mobile commerce.

High-profile cyber attacks highlight issues regarding mobile security

Large companies like Home Depot, JPMorgan, Target, and Sony have been hit by major cyber attacks over the past year. Hackers managed to steal millions of credit and debit card numbers from these companies, as well as other consumer information. In some cases, malicious parties were able to exploit the lackluster security of mobile services that these companies had been using. As such, the dangers that exist in the mobile commerce space have attracted more attention.

Phishing and malicious software is becoming more common

In the coming year, security issues may become more pronounced. According to the Information Security Forum, the problem of mobile phishing is becoming more severe. The organization notes that it has seen a rise in the number of fake emails that alleged to be from companies like Amazon. These emails had sought to gain access to consumer shopping accounts, exploiting these accounts financially. The organization also warns that the number of free-to-use and free-to-modify software could create serious problems for mobile consumers.

Security threats may grow more pronounced, especially in the mobile commerce space

As mobile commerce grows more popular, consumers are having to take security more seriously. Because mobile commerce deals in the trafficking of financial information, it has become an attractive target for those that want to exploit such information. The number of cyber attacks is not expected to go down in 2015, so consumers may have to be more aggressive with their own protection.

A recent report has shown that device users appear to be relatively apathetic about efforts to protect their smartphones.

According to the results of a recent study that were published within a report, users of devices based on both the Android and iOS platforms have a higher fraud rate than the typical consumer, simply because they have not taken adequate mobile security precautions in their overall security and password habits.

Despite the fact that consumers are using their smartphones for transactions with personal data, they appear unconcerned.

Personal identifiable information (PII) is being regularly placed at risk by consumers who are using their smartphones and tablets to conduct a range of different transactions, but at the same time, they appear to be apathetic when it comes to actually taking mobile security measures that would help to protect that sensitive data. A Javelin Strategy & Research study has shown that as a result of this consumer apathy, a world of opportunity has been opening up for cyber criminals.

The mobile security report involved the participation of 5,643 American adults in a survey.

The report on the survey results was entitled “Smartphones, Tablets and Fraud: When Apathy Meets Security”. It was sponsored by Nok Nok Labs, an authentication technology provider. The participants in the study were all from the United States and were all over the age of 18 years.

The insight offered by this report was primarily to do with the increasing reliance of consumers on their mobile devices in order to be able to stay connected, keep up with their social media, access their email, and conduct various forms of transactions through the internet and a range of different apps. It pointed out that any one of those activities can hand cyber-criminals an opportunity with varying degrees of value in terms of personally identifiable information and account data that could either be misused or sold so that someone else could misuse it.

Regardless of this fact, the study showed that many consumers don’t come nearly close enough to taking the necessary efforts to protect themselves against mobile security breaches. The study revealed that about 6 out of every ten mobile device users use the same password over several different accounts on their device. That, alone, offers considerable exposure to cyber threats.