Why should we increase smartphone security?

Security firm Kaspersky has just shared three main reasons explaining why smartphones also need software protection.

Money is in the phone

Southeast Asia is the fastest-growing e-wallet market after the pandemic sparked a boom in online banking and e-wallet adoption in the region.

Mobile payments continue to grow steadily with 86 mobile money services in Southeast Asia as of last year and more unicorns are expected to rise and become mainstream.

Smartphones today "hold" a lot of important user data.

Kaspersky's research on digital payments shows that Android smartphones are the most used devices for financial transactions in the region.

82% of digital payment adopters in Indonesia and the Philippines use their Android devices for mobile transactions, while the rate is 76% in Malaysia, 73% in Thailand, 67% in Vietnam and 54% in Singapore.

In 2022, Kaspersky blocked a total of 1,083 mobile banking trojans targeting the region, in addition to detecting 207,506 mobile malware incidents.

“Compared to threats like phishing and ransomware, the number of mobile banking trojan detections remains relatively low, mainly because the adoption of security solutions for mobile devices is still in progress in Southeast Asia,” said Adrian Hia, Managing Director of Kaspersky Asia Pacific . “Our money, bank accounts, e-wallets and even investments are now literally on our smartphones – be it Android or iOS. It is time to protect these devices with strong security against financially motivated cybercriminals.”

Access work email from smartphone

Mobile devices are considered a risk to businesses. In addition to mobile banking, phones are also used to access email and corporate assets.

The danger with BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is that 96% of smartphones that can connect and access corporate networks have non-work-related issues, meaning they are used for personal purposes.

Over the years, Kaspersky researchers have discovered cases of APTs infiltrating corporate systems through an infected mobile device.

Mobile APT malware like Pegasus and Chrysor are spyware deployed through Android or iOS vulnerabilities installed on the victim's smartphone. Kaspersky also detected 10,543 mobile ransomware trojan installers globally in 2022.

Mobile devices have all the social networking apps

One in four internet users in Asia Pacific have fallen victim to identity fraud, a survey has found. But importantly, many still do not take the time to protect their identities from online theft and fraud.

Social networks are the favorite 'playground' of smartphone users.

Another study by Kaspersky found that 38% of social media users said they knew someone who had been the victim of a data breach while using social media. For those aged 18-34, this figure rose to more than half (52%). 7% of users worldwide said they had been the victim of a social media scam.

Kaspersky's 2022 Phishing Report also revealed that the company's mobile solution blocked 360,185 attempts to click on phishing links from messaging apps last year. Of these, 82.71% came from WhatsApp, 14.12% from Telegram, and 3.17% from Viber.

"Mobile devices are a "treasure trove" of messaging and social media apps we use. Each of us has conversations, photos and personal information that we don't want to fall into the wrong hands. On the other hand, cybercriminals are also lurking on these platforms, waiting for their prey to fall into their trap. A safe protective shield is always necessary if we want to freely use the device," Mr. Hia shared.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/vi-sao-nen-tang-cuong-bao-mat-cho-smartphone-185230817113203466.htm