With every organization looking at protecting their corporate devices, the bad guys are increasingly setting their focus on one of the softest targets: the mobile device.
The use of a mobile device for both work and personal use is ubiquitous in today’s society. The ability to switch from responding to a business email to finding flowers for your significant other on the same device has made the mobile device a necessity in most people’s lives. This constant use of a trusted device is the perfect way for cybercriminals to find ways to scam both individuals and businesses.
According to mobile security vendor Lookout’s The State of Mobile Phishing report, mobile attacks continue to be on the rise.
The percentage of businesses that have encountered a mobile phishing attack year-over-year in the 1st quarter has jumped 475% over 2019! North American businesses have seen the greatest amount of mobile phishing with nearly one-quarter (24.71%) of organizations experiencing mobile phishing attacks. Top industries targeted include healthcare, professional services, financial services, and manufacturing.
In the wake of COVID, we’ve learned that 36% of employees access work applications from personal devices – which includes mobile devices. This means with the massive growth in mobile phishing attacks, organizations are materially more at risk than a year ago.
To address this risk, organizations need to empower users to embrace a security mindset using Security Awareness Training. By educating user on how phishing attacks work, the devices and methods used, and the impact of a successful attack, users can act as part of the organization’s security strategy to thwart attacks before they gain a foothold.
