Human error remains the primary exploitation vector in mobile security incidents, according to Verizon’s latest Mobile Security Index (MSI).
“At 44%, user behavior is the top cited breach contributor, just ahead of app threats, network threats, and internet threats, which were each cited by 43% of survey respondents,” the report says. “Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report found that around 60% of confirmed breaches involved a human element.”
The report also found that most respondents believe AI tools are dramatically improving the effectiveness of social engineering attacks targeting mobile users.
“AI is reshaping mobile threats in ways that draw concern from organizations surveyed,” the report says. “Of respondents, 34% say they fear that the increasing sophistication and scale of AI-powered attacks will significantly raise their exposure, and 38% say ransomware will become even more dangerous when powered by AI. In addition, 77% of respondents believe AI-assisted attacks involving deepfakes—AI-generated media that mimic real people to deceive or impersonate them—and short message service (SMS) text phishing are likely to succeed.”
The researchers note that mobile devices offer threat actors an easy avenue for social engineering attacks, since users often use their phones for both work and personal matters.
“Mobile devices have become the most direct path between attackers and their victims,” the report says. “Always on and deeply personal, these devices offer cybercriminals a rich opportunity to leverage sophisticated social engineering techniques that traditional security tools cannot detect. With AI enhancing the effectiveness of smishing, executive impersonation, and multifactor authentication (MFA) token theft, individuals are now even more susceptible to these social engineering techniques.”
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Verizon has the story.
