Kaspersky, a security firm, has just shared three main reasons why smartphones also need software protection.
The money is in the phone.
Southeast Asia is the fastest-growing e-wallet market after the pandemic triggered a boom in online banking adoption and e-wallet usage 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 predicted to emerge and become a trend.
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 acceptors in Indonesia and the Philippines use their Android devices for mobile transactions, while the figures are 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 this region, in addition to detecting 207,506 mobile malware incidents.
Adrian Hia, Managing Director of Kaspersky Asia Pacific , shared: "Compared to threats like phishing and ransomware, the number of mobile banking trojan detections remains relatively low, mainly because the rollout of security solutions to mobile devices is still ongoing in Southeast Asia. Our money, bank accounts, e-wallets, and even investments are now practically in our smartphones – whether it's an Android or iOS device. It's time to protect these devices with robust security solutions against financially motivated cybercrime."
Access work email from your smartphone.
Mobile devices are seen as a threat to businesses. Beyond mobile banking, phones are also used to access email and company assets.
The danger with BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) lies in the fact that 96% of smartphones that can connect to and access the company network experience non-work-related problems, meaning they are used for personal purposes.
Over the years, Kaspersky researchers have detected instances of APTs infiltrating company systems through infected mobile devices.
APT mobile malware such as Pegasus and Chrysor are spyware deployed through Android or iOS vulnerabilities and installed on a victim's smartphone. In 2022, Kaspersky also detected 10,543 mobile ransomware trojan installers globally.
Mobile devices have a full suite of social media applications.
A survey revealed that one in four internet users in the Asia- Pacific region has been a victim of identity fraud. But importantly, many people still don't care about protecting their identities from online theft and scams.
Social media is becoming the favorite "playground" for smartphone users.
Another study conducted by Kaspersky also showed that 38% of social media users said they knew someone whose data had been compromised while using social media. For those aged 18-34, this number increased to more than half (52%). 7% of users worldwide reported having been victims of online scams.
Kaspersky's 2022 phishing report also revealed that the company's mobile solution blocked 360,185 attempts to click 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' containing the 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 prey to fall into their trap. A protective shield is always necessary if we want to use our devices freely," Hia shared.
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