Breadth of mobile cyberattacks
In 2022, nine percent of global cyberattacks were delivered via mobile devices. Users worldwide encountered more than 2.2 million cyberattacks through their mobile devices in December 2022. Additionally, in the last quarter of 2023, approximately 440 thousand malicious installation packages were detected on mobile devices worldwide.Types of mobile cyberattacks
Some cyberattacks, such as smishing (SMS phishing) and vishing (voice phishing), are specifically designed for mobile devices. Overall, more than half of the personal mobile devices observed worldwide were targeted by mobile phishing in the fourth quarter of 2022, with users in North America detecting the highest number of such encounters. In the third quarter of 2023, AdWare was the most prevalent mobile malware, accounting for more than half of the detections in the measured period.Data tracking on apps
Some users prefer convenience and personalized user experience over data privacy. While this experience can save time, it is important to remember that not all companies handle personal data with severe diligence. While users usually agree with privacy policies on online services without reading them carefully, it might turn out that they had agreed to a little more than they intended. The result is usually the leakage of private data. As of 2022, it was found that mobile apps of magazines were more likely to track user data than other app categories.Spying via mobile
Besides mentioned threats via mobile devices, users might also be spied on. This is done by installing spying malware on target’s mobile device. Alongside private interests, spyware is also a commonly used tool by authoritarian governments worldwide to spy on journalists and human rights defenders. In 2022, TrackViewPro was the most used spyware targeting mobile devices worldwide, while EMEA was the region with the most spyware usage.Mobile security and prevention
The mobile security market worldwide is gradually growing and is projected to reach 37 billion U.S. dollars by 2028. Although the global user awareness around cybercrime is relatively high, the usage of security tools like VPNs is still low. Users still fall for phishing or take risky actions while encountering cyberthreat.The best solution to mobile security is not isolating yourself from the online world. Being mindful when using mobile apps and online services, using VPNs, having a separate e-mail address for marketing e-mails and newsletter subscriptions, and not clicking on any links without profoundly checking the sender’s address and the content of the e-mail or the message is how to have safer online experience.
