45% of respondents said their organization had experienced a mobile security incident that resulted in data loss, downtime or other negative outcomes; 73% described the attacks as being of high severity
Ivanti Inc., provider of the Neurons automation platform that discovers, manages, protects and supports IT assets from the cloud to the edge, contributed to the Verizon Mobile Security Index (MSI) 2022. The survey, carried out on a sample of 632 professionals responsible for strategies, internal procedures and security management, revealed an unprecedented increase in attacks and fraud on mobile devices in 2021: almost half (45%) of companies have suffered a compromise involving a mobile device, leading to data loss or downtime in the last 12 months, with an overall annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14%.
Srinivas Mukkamala, Senior VP e General Manager Security Products of Ivanti, said, "It was a privilege to collaborate with Verizon on their fifth annual Mobile Security Index, providing insights into the ever-evolving mobile threat landscape. The report's findings are important to businesses as security leaders around the world navigate the transition to remote and hybrid work and face a sudden surge in increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. The report can help security professionals better understand threats to mobile environments and, in turn, strengthen their defenses."
Here are some of the highlights from the 2022 Verizon Mobile Security Index:
- The evolution of the working environment increases cybersecurity challenges. Companies are struggling to manage all the different ways their employees work (remote, hybrid and in-office). Nearly four-fifths (79%) of respondents agree that recent changes in work activities have negatively impacted their organization's cybersecurity. At least two out of three CISOs from all over the world agree that remote working has made their company more vulnerable to cyber attacks.
- Due to the use of remote and hybrid working methods, companies are increasingly relying on mobile devices. 58% of respondents said they have more users using mobile devices for work than they did 12 months ago, and 59% said these users are using mobile devices more than they were a year ago. Additionally, 53% say devices have access to more sensitive data than in 2021. This means that compromising a mobile device can pose a significant risk to company data, intellectual property and internal processes.
- The prevalence and severity of mobile device-related compromises are growing. From state-sponsored actions to occasional, untargeted exploits by criminals, the volume of attacks is on the rise. 45% of respondents said their business had experienced a security incident involving a mobile device that resulted in data loss, business interruption, or another negative outcome. 73% of respondents described the attack as serious and over two fifths (42%) said it had widespread repercussions.
- Spending on cybersecurity is on the rise. These factors explain why 77% of respondents said their cybersecurity budget has increased over the past 12 months, and nearly a third (29%) of those indicated it has grown significantly. In addition, respondents expect budgets to rise further. More than three-quarters expect a budget increase in the next 12 months; 25% expect a significant increase; only 1% hypothesize a budget contraction.
“The global shift to remote working has exacerbated the scale, sophistication and impact of mobile attacks,” concluded Mukkamala. "Hackers are increasingly targeting these types of devices because they are everywhere and have access to virtually everything. Additionally, most users have insufficient mobile security measures in place. Cybersecurity leaders need to ensure that corporate data is protected wherever it goes. A layered approach to security provides the best protection against today's mobile device threats."
For information on how to defend yourself and address threats on mobile devices, see who.
Methodology
In April 2022, Verizon commissioned an independent market research firm to survey more than 600 people responsible for strategy, internal procedures and security management. Verizon also conducted a survey of security professionals and interviewed nine C-level industry experts. Additionally, Verizon has partnered with several leaders in mobile security: Absolute, Check Point, IBM, Ivanti, Jamf, Lookout, Netskope, Proofpoint and Thales. These contributors provided additional information, including incident and usage data.
