Security Watch | Matt Hines » Users fear for mobile security

February 11, 2008 | Comments: (0)

Users fear for mobile security

TAGS: Security

As the wireless industry convenes in Barcelona this week for the Mobile World Congress confab, only a handful of relatively innocuous attacks aimed at the handheld devices and applications being feted at the event are even known to exist.

Yet, end users are clearly already concerned that the same type of dangerous and unpredictable security environment that has emerged around more traditional computing platforms in recent years will soon find its way onto their mobile devices -- at least according to McAfee.

Based on the IT vendor's Mobile Security Report 2008, which revolves around over 2,000 interviews conducted with consumers worldwide in partnership with researchers at Datamonitor, McAfee found that a majority of end users are already keeping an eye out for potential wireless threats.

Of those interviewed, some 58 percent said that they already fear different forms of mobile attack, while 86 percent recognized the need for concern around issues of mobile security.

The truth is that has to be good news for everyone -- and not just vendors like McAfee who want to take advantage of the trepidation to sell mobile device protection technologies. For the healthy dose of fear that exists around mobility at the very least indicates that people are aware of the notion that they will be targeted via their handhelds down the road.

In the world of desktops and laptops, research clearly indicates that many users still haven't figure out how to avoid potential hacks and social engineering ploys, despite the avalanche of threats that have already been documented.

Of the leading security problems that end users expect to encounter on their handhelds, many are attacks related to extended services that can be accessed via the devices. Over 72 percent of those surveyed said that they harbor some security concerns related to services including wireless banking and multimedia downloads.

Individually, the banking and mobile payments arena is the segment where most people feel the might get attacked, with 55 percent of respondents highlighting their expectations for such threats. Roughly 40 percent of those interviewed expressed worries over mobile vouchers and ticketing, and mobile multimedia downloads such as ring tones, music and games.

Of particular note, in regions where wireless micro payments (buy a Coke with your phone, etc.) are already popular, people said they worry that attackers might target the applications. In Japan, for instance, a leading micro-payment center, almost 60 percent of respondents said they are at least somewhat fearful of payment-related threats.

The mobile Web is another area of concern for all users, with 80 percent of those who access the Internet on their mobile devices wary that the practice could make them more vulnerable to attacks.

One of the big questions in the mobile security space remains whether or not users will be willing to pay for anti-malware and data protection tools for use on their handhelds, or whether they will expect the phones to come pre-loaded with onboard defenses from phone makers and carriers.

While companies like McAfee would clearly like to see the same model for mobile devices that exists on the PC, with people buying and continually updating AV and security applications their handhelds, customers are already looking for their device and service providers to tackle the problem.

Among respondents to the survey, 83.5 percent said that they run separate security software on their PCs, but 79 percent said that they don't utilize similar tools for their mobile devices. Just below 60 percent specifically said that they expect mobile operators to take primary responsibility for protecting their devices and services.

"The study found that mobile users have a very clear preference of who should be responsible for ensuring the security of mobile devices and services and how it should be paid for," Victor Kouznetsov, senior vice president of McAfee Mobile Security group, said in a report summary. "As such, mobile content certification and mobile application assurance will become increasingly essential in maintaining user trust and confidence."

Posted by Matt Hines on February 11, 2008 11:55 AM

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