Mobile security protection has emerged as a public necessity in Australia. With 17.9 million smartphones and more than three million internet-connected smart devices the prevalence of cyber threats to individuals, businesses, and governments has reached alarming levels.

Akhil Bhutani, Zimperium’s General Manager of APJ Business cautions Governments and local councils bear a responsibility to protect residents not only on the street, but also in the digital world.

Bhutani explains that in an increasingly interconnected world, the rise of mobile devices has revolutionised the way people communicate, work and access information.

“Smartphones and tablets have become an integral part of our daily lives, empowering us with a wealth of capabilities and convenience,”

“With this growing reliance on mobile technology, the importance of mobile cyber security has evolved from being a public good to an absolute public necessity,” Bhutani said.

Mobile phones have become an indispensable part of our lives, and one of their defining characteristics is their ‘always on, always connected’ nature.

This constant connectivity has profound implications for mobile cyber security, adding another layer of significance to its role as a public necessity. 

Mobile cyber security transitions from being a public good to a public necessity

The pervasive threat landscape, our increasing reliance on mobile devices, privacy concerns, mobile payment systems, IoT integration, and enterprise security are all demands that emphasise the crucial role of mobile cyber security.

Protecting our personal information, preserving privacy, and securing the digital infrastructure on which we depend are paramount. It is imperative for individuals, organisations, and governments to prioritise and invest in robust mobile cyber security measures to navigate the evolving threat landscape and ensure a safer digital future for all.

Organisations of all sizes still grapple with how to strengthen mobile security. This challenge is particularly pronounced in state and local government, where constituents are increasingly interfacing with government via digital channels.

According to Bhutani there are several network threats, including man-in-the-middle attacks, where someone could be listening in on your conversation.

“There are also a whole lot of application-oriented threats out there, but phishing is the key one that has emerged over the last year,”

“Given the small screen and people’s lack of awareness, a lot of people end up clicking on malicious links. My company’s research shows that the average user is 6-10 times more likely to fall for an SMS phishing attack than an email-based attack,”

“Based on what we’ve seen this year, Sydney and Melbourne have been hit hardest by Rogue Wi-Fi Networks. Malicious applications and phishing-related mobile security threats pose a range of security issues,” Bhutani said.

There was an overall 2.8x increase in mobile threats across Australia from 2022-2023, but there was a notably large increase of malicious apps in Adelaide and Perth. Paired with an explosion of phishing-related threats across Queensland, these pose a range of security threats.”

Two-thirds of Australians aged 15 years and over were exposed to a scam in 2021-2022, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

William Milne, ABS head of crime and justice statistics, said: “The results of the personal fraud survey showed that 65 percent of people received a scam offer or request in 2021-2022, up from 55 percent in the previous year,”

“People were most commonly exposed to a scam over the phone (48 percent) or by text message (47 percent), with exposure via text message doubling from 23 percent in 2020-2021 to 47 percent in 2021-2022.”

Mr Milne added that about one-third reported to a bank or financial institution, which remains the most common authority scams.

“We have recently seen a notable increase in reporting to the police, up from 8.2 percent in 2020-2021 to 14 percent in 2021-2022,” he said

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Australian’s lost a total of $3.1 billion to scams in 2022 as government, law enforcement and the private sector look to improve collaborative efforts to support the community in the fight against scams.

The ACCC also noted financial losses reported to Scamwatch in 2022 totalled more than $569 million, a 76 per cent increase compared to losses reported in the previous year..

Zimperium’s mobile threat team said many mobile users struggle with cyber hygiene for their mobile devices. Most devices either do not have the latest security updates or cannot be upgraded due to hardware limitations.

With a barrage of OS and app updates every day, it’s almost impossible to keep everything up to date. To address these growing challenges, individuals and organisations need to prioritise mobile security protection by implementing strong passwords or biometric authentication, regularly updating software and operating systems, and utilising reputable security applications.