The new 2023 Verizon Mobile Security Index highlights the importance of an effective mobile threat defense strategy. Published annually, the index confirms that phishing attacks on mobile devices are the main gateway to corporate data.
As more and more employees work from anywhere, mobile devices dominate as the device of choice for the modern workforce. However, because these devices have traditionally been neglected as part of an organization's overall security strategy, they have also become the most vulnerable target for external hackers.
Social engineering targets employees
These gain access to a company's cloud infrastructure through tactics such as social engineering and theft of credentials. The Verizon Mobile Security Index addresses some of the biggest threats to mobile devices and provides unique insight into the current mobile threat landscape such as malware, phishing, excessive application permissions and inappropriate use. The index examines what companies are doing, or in many cases not doing, to protect their data and critical systems.
Insights Mobile Security Index 2023
Verizon numbers
- 81 percent of organizations experienced malware, phishing and password attacks last year, primarily targeting users.
- 62 percent of companies suffered a security breach related to remote work.
- Humans play a role in 74 percent of all security breaches. Malware was involved in 40 percent of security breaches.
- 80 percent of phishing pages specifically target mobile devices or are designed to work on both desktop and mobile. The average user is six to ten times more likely to fall for SMS phishing attacks than email attacks.
Numbers from Lookout
- In 2022, 60 percent of all company data was stored in the cloud.
- In 2022, more than 50 percent of personal devices were exposed to a mobile phishing attack.
- Mobile app threats increased by over 2022 percent between the first half of 2023 and the first half of 30.
- The vast majority (90 percent) of remote workers access company resources from more than just home – on average, from five different locations. This can expose the company to additional security risks.
“Mobile devices are now the first choice for the modern workforce. Sensitive enterprise data moves across an ever-increasing number of networks, clouds and applications,” said Aaron Cockerill, executive vice president of products at Lookout. “As companies move more of their data to the cloud, cybercriminals have also changed their tactics and techniques to take full advantage of this change. Mobile devices are the key to accessing cloud applications and data, and are also the least protected part of this environment. In this evolving threat landscape, it is more important than ever for organizations to prioritize mobile device protection as part of their overall security strategy to reduce risk and protect their data.”
More at Verizon.com
About Lookout Lookout co-founders John Hering, Kevin Mahaffey, and James Burgess came together in 2007 with the goal of protecting people from the security and privacy risks posed by an increasingly connected world. Even before smartphones were in everyone's pocket, they realized that mobility would have a profound impact on the way we work and live.