Mobile Security Landscape Shows Scope for Encouraging Future Developments

Mobile devices are witnessing a demand like never before, with consumers using them for various purposes like consuming news & entertainment, shopping, paying bills, and even managing their finances. Though the faster internet speeds, the surging popularity of cloud services, and the availability of a number of free apps, have raised the adoption of mobile phones and tablets, these factors have exposed them to a range of new security risks.

The Need of the Hour

With the surge in the adoption of 3G and 4G internet connections, the masses have increased access to high-speed mobile broadband services. In fact, in developed economies, mobile operators are making heavy investments to develop 5G networks. However, high-speed internet services also put individual customers at risk of increased security issues. This calls for effective mobile security software to avert malware attacks.

What’s more, hundreds of malicious apps have found their way to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Findings by Help Net Security suggest that 16% of mobile devices in developing markets carry at least one infected app.

Even though Google and Apple expel such apps from their app stores, some of them still pass through the security screening process and reach smartphones.

Dubious apps come with malicious codes and vulnerabilities, thus gaining access to personally identifiable information of the device owners. These harmful apps access confidential information & photos from the devices, track & monitor the users’ activities, and even make unauthorized calls and send SMSs without their knowledge or permission. This is creating major security concerns for users.

Moreover, since 2020, after remote working became commonplace, the concept of ’bring your own device’ or BYOD gained immense popularity. Though BYOD certainly offers employees freedom and comfort, as they can easily access work-related documents from any place in the world, several mobile users are not diligent about safeguarding their devices. This can result in critical situations, wherein, the sensitive data of both, the device holder as well as the organization, can be exposed to online theft. Cybercriminals today have become more sophisticated, and with users accessing endless apps without prudence, implementing viable data protection solutions for mobile devices has become crucial.

Trendy Developments

Application Management is crucial to protect the users’ personal data. Industry players are now creating solutions to improve user experience. For instance, Microsoft developed a cloud-based solution called Intune for mobile application management; with this, the users can access applications while being assured that their data is safe. Also, McAfee developed an enterprise mobility management software for Android platforms to provide security to the applications present on the operating system.

Data Encryption has become essential as it protects the confidentiality of the data, integrates information, and minimizes the costs incurred due to data loss. To tackle this, IBM has its suite of data protection solutions. Similar to this, Intel introduced its Intel Data Protection Technology, in 2014, which offers end-to-end encryption of data.

Mobile Banking Applications have surged the usage of mobile devices for making payments due to increased convenience. IBM and Monitise collaborated to develop cloud-based mobile solutions, which can be used by banks and financial institutions to strengthen their applications. Further, Microsoft offers a mobile device management solution, Exchange ActiveSync (EAS), for online banking and transactions. Also, Gemalto developed its Ezio Mobile Security Toolkit in 2017, to secure mobile banking applications.

Lucrative Innovations

It can be noted that the type of solutions available in the market at present are not very distinct in functionality. Consumers are therefore more open to switching from one solution provider to the other. Several players are seeing this as a lucrative opportunity to set foot into new markets. In 2014, Good Technology, an American company, announced its plans to expand its reach in the Japanese mobile security market. It joined hands with NTT Docomo to develop mobile data protection solutions for iOS and Android platforms. Apart from Good Technology, IBM, Kaspersky Lab, and Microsoft are also some of the big names that are leveraging the available business opportunities in the country.

With numerous companies offering embedded security solutions for mobile devices, the level of competition among players is increasing. For instance, companies like F-Secure, McAfee, and Symantec are competing with each other to penetrate the market in China. F-Secure developed anti-virus software to counter the growing virus-induced security attacks. The company claimed that the anti-virus solution it developed was more efficient than those offered by its rivals.

Key Takeaways:

As hackers continue with their malicious activities, it has become imperative to take mobile data security threats more seriously. Hence, established players in the market like Samsung, Microsoft, and McAfee are focusing on strategic adoptions of collaborations and development in product launches. While vendors are offering numerous solutions to safeguard individuals’ data at present, there is little to no product differentiation. This leaves room for further research and development for companies to come up with advanced solutions. Such steps will go a long way in helping users be more secure while staying connected.