The traditional 9-to-5 in-office workday has shifted to an
always-on hybrid or remote working world. With the increase in
hours, locations and devices comes an increase in vulnerability for
companies protecting themselves from cyberattacks. The Verizon
Mobile Security Index (MSI) 2022 reveals that there is a continued
rise in major cyberattacks in the last year involving a mobile/IoT
device, up 22% year-over-year, that resulted in data or system
downtime. With 85% of companies surveyed stating that they now have
a budget dedicated to mobile security, there has never been a more
pressing need to apply those funds to cyberthreat mitigation.
“For businesses–regardless of industry, size, or location on a
map–downtime is money lost. Compromised data is trust lost, and
those moments, although not insurmountable, are tough to rebound
from,” said Sampath Sowmyanarayan, CEO, Verizon Business.
“Companies need to dedicate time and budget on their security
architecture, especially when it comes to off-premise devices:
otherwise they are leaving themselves vulnerable to cyber-threat
actors.”
Security teams face an uphill battle as the number of devices
and remote workers increase, so much so that 79% of respondents
agreed that the recent changes to working practices have adversely
affected their organizations' cybersecurity. With the increased
threat, it would seem that companies would double down on their
policies. However, the findings point to the opposite, with 85%
saying home Wi-Fi and cellular networks/hotspots are allowed or
there is no policy against them, and 68% allow or have no policy
against the use of public Wi-Fi.
Security mitigation should be a top
priority
Awareness of the impact of a cyberattack is clear,
with 64% of respondents saying that public awareness of
cybersecurity risks will increase in the future. This is partly
attributable to nearly two-thirds (66%) of companies stating that
they had previously come under pressure to sacrifice mobile-device
security “to get the job done,” with 52% succumbing to that
pressure.
The MSI details four sectors of the mobile threat
landscape: people and behaviors, apps, devices and things, and
networks and cloud. Additionally, it provides expert insights into
how to help safeguard against pending cybercrime attacks, such as
establishing a “zero trust network access” (ZTNA) model and a
secure access service edge (SASE) architecture, which are designed
for a mobile-first and cloud-first world.
Impact across business
sectors
The MSI highlights the impact of cybercrime on
mobile security across various business sectors. Highlights are as
follows:
- Enterprise: 23% of
respondents suffered a mobile security compromise. Of those, 74%
said the impact of the mobile security compromise was major and
over a third (34%) said it had lasting repercussions. Furthermore,
four out of five (81%) organizations said their mobile device
security spend increased over the past year and 76% believe it will
increase over the coming year as well.
- Retail: Almost nine
out of 10 (88%) businesses are concerned that a mobile security
breach could have a lasting impact on their brand or customer
loyalty. However, 70% said that increased mobile use is essential
to staying relevant to consumers, while 41% said this presented a
daunting security challenge.
- Financial Services:
More than nine out of ten (93%) executives believe cybercriminals
see their sector as a more lucrative target than other
industries.
- Healthcare: Nearly
nine out of ten (87%) healthcare organizations are concerned that
the highly confidential nature of patient data makes them a target
for cybercriminals and 85% say they are concerned that a security
breach could compromise patient care. Conversely, three out of four
(76%) organizations agree that the adoption of telehealth presents
healthcare providers with a great opportunity to improve patient
care.
- Manufacturing, construction,
and transportation: Four out of five (79%) believe a
mobile security compromise could disrupt their entire supply chain,
resulting in serious financial implications. However, 76% of
organizations agree that the adoption of mobile-based services by
shop floor workers is essential to improving productivity.
- Public Sector and
Education: Almost nine out of ten (87%) said that employee
expectations for remote/flexible working is forcing them to
re-evaluate how they operate. Another 72% of respondents agreed
that the increased use of mobile-based services by public sector
employees is essential to accelerating the digital transformation
of public services.
Beyond the Index
Consumer vigilanceAs with the
business sector, cyber threat actors are also targeting consumers.
Unwanted calls and spam text messages pose a real threat to mobile
device owners, which makes being vigilant and having security
measures in place that much more important.
From May to June 2022 alone, with the use of
STIR/SHAKEN, Call Filter and additional tools, Verizon identified
or blocked 2.5 billion unwanted calls for wireless customers -
detecting more than 26.5 billion spam calls to date. On a daily
basis, Verizon blocks tens of millions of spam text messages on
behalf of customers and labels 1.2M calls with [V] for verified
callers and 85K with [SPAM?] for robocalls for more than 3M Fios
voice customers.
Verizon became the first service provider to supply
scam call data to the Industry Traceback Group (ITG) and the first
to automate its participation – in most cases responding to ITG in
less than a minute. Most recently, Verizon was also the first
service provider to submit foreign language scam examples to the
ITG.
Collaboration solutionsWith the
increase in remote work flexibility, meeting security has become an
essential business priority. Built secure by design, BlueJeans by
Verizon works to protect customer and end-user security and
privacy, while delivering a great video collaboration experience
across devices.
By protecting the privacy of customers and
implementing standards-based security protocols throughout the
BlueJeans platform, including SIP, SRTP, TLS, and H. 323, Verizon
is being proactive about video conferencing security and privacy.
Further, the BlueJeans Trust Center highlights the company’s
commitment to innovating responsibly and communicating
transparently, so that organizations and end-users across
industries can meet with confidence.
About the Verizon Mobile Security Index
2022
The Verizon Mobile Security Index 2022 findings are
based on an independent survey of 632 professionals responsible for
security strategy, policy, and management. They also do the buying,
managing, and security of mobile and Internet of Things (IoT)
devices for their companies.
The Mobile Security Index provides unique insights
into the current mobile threat landscape and what organizations
are, or in many cases aren’t, doing to protect their data and key
systems. In addition to analysis from Verizon’s experts, the report
includes insights and real-world data from leading security and
management companies, including Absolute, Check Point, IBM, Ivanti,
Jamf, Lookout, Netskope, Proofpoint, and Thales.
Read the full Verizon Mobile Security Index 2022,
and learn more about what Verizon is doing to help address
cybersecurity threats.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was
formed on June 30, 2000 and is one of the world’s leading providers
of technology and communications services. Headquartered in New
York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated
revenues of $133.6 billion in 2021. The company offers data, video
and voice services and solutions on its award-winning networks and
platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable
network connectivity, security and control.
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Media contact:Kyle
Ragonesekyle.ragonese@verizon.com732.236.3526@KyleRagonese
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