A recent study highlights significant security risks faced by smartphone users, revealing some startling statistics about our vulnerability to cybercrime.
Key Findings
- Phishing Links: 35% of small business employees or owners have clicked on phishing links on their smartphones.
- Lost Devices: 30% have lost or had their smartphone stolen, which contained sensitive information.
- Unencrypted Credentials: 11% have stored passwords or login information on their devices without encryption.
- Forwarding Data: 9% have forwarded corporate data to their personal accounts.
Expert Insights
Jamie Akhtar, CEO of CyberSmart, emphasized the urgent need for greater security awareness. Paul Walsh, CEO of MetaCert, pointed out that phishing has evolved to target SMS and smartphones, with 83% of phishing sites targeting mobile devices in 2023.
Phishing and Scams
The study underscores that traditional advice on spotting phishing attacks, such as looking for spelling mistakes or suspicious links, is outdated. Modern phishing scams are more sophisticated, often targeting mobile users via SMS.
Advertising Risks
Google blocked over 200 million phishing ads in 2023, highlighting the scale of the problem. Social media platforms also face significant challenges with fraudulent ads.
Voice Call Threats
A report by Hiya analyzed nearly 10 billion spam calls, identifying banks, credit card companies, and Amazon as the most impersonated entities by fraudsters.
The Need for Change
To combat these threats, Walsh suggests a shift towards zero-trust security measures and authenticating URLs before they reach users. Remember, being cautious and not trusting any unsolicited links is key to staying safe.
By adopting these strategies, we can better protect ourselves against the ever-evolving landscape of smartphone security threats.
Original article courtesy of Forbes.
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