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Mobile end users are acutely aware of the growing security, fraud and privacy threats when using mobile apps, and are demanding that mobile brands and businesses step forward and provide real defenses against these threats.
This is according to Appdomethe mobile defense specialist has announced the UK results of its fourth survey of UK consumer expectations for mobile app security.
The voice of the UK consumer has been clear – they don’t just want the protection that is part of the system OWASP MAS standardbut survey data reveals why UK brands need to improve the state of mobile app security as the UK’s mobile commerce economy is expected to take a hit 100 billion pounds in 2025.
“Mobile is dominant in everything we do – shopping, gaming, dating and more. Consumer awareness and concern about fraud is at an all-time high in four years of our research, and UK consumers are telling us that if they’re not protected, they’ll vote with their wallets and shop elsewhere,” Chris Roeckl, Chief Product Officer, Appdome. he said. “It’s vital that mobile brands continue to raise the bar on mobile app security.”
Data from the 2024 survey adds to more than 120,000 consumer votes collected from 12 countries over the past four years, making the Mobile App Security Consumer Expectations Survey the largest collection of consumer data on mobile app security, privacy, anti-fraud and more. attack vectors.
Mobile applications have become central to consumers’ daily lives. Mobile app security – consisting of mobile app security, anti-malware, fraud prevention and privacy – is now critical to how consumers choose and use mobile apps, as well as whether they choose to stay with and promote a brand.
“Cyber professionals work tirelessly to keep applications, networks, transactions and users safe as artificial intelligence (AI) and other attacks grow,” said Tom Tovar, co-creator and CEO of Appdome. “UK consumers continue their upward march to recognize the importance of this work and it’s clear that they overwhelmingly support expanding cyber and anti-fraud measures across branded and enterprise mobile apps everywhere.”
The UK data for 2024 revealed several emerging trends, including consumers’ increasing use of mobile apps, their awareness of mobile attack vectors, growing expectations of in-app protection, and consumers’ willingness to be brand advocates if protected. The top stats according to the UK survey include:
Exposure to fear: 41% (four in 10) report first-hand experience or awareness of mobile fraud, malware or cyber-attack, and 62% of UK consumers say mobile fraud is their number one concern.
Fraud Solution: 80% prefer fraud prevention as a must in mobile apps.
social engineering: 27% report first-hand experience or awareness of social engineering scams, and 59% of consumers report impersonation scams as the top social engineering risk.
Romance scams excel: Britons are very concerned about romance scams, with almost 31% reporting concern – 17% more than the global average.
Mobile vs Web: 56% of people in the UK now prefer to use mobile apps over other channels to buy goods and services, a 14% increase from 2022. And 65% say their use of mobile apps has increased in the past 12 months alone.
Overall Protection: 97% of UK consumers now believe that protecting their privacy when using mobile apps is essential, with 85% of consumers seeking information about the security of a mobile app before using it.
Features vs. security: 85% now say that security and privacy are equally or more important than mobile app functionality.
Fear of inaction: The number of UK consumers concerned that ‘developers don’t care’ about mobile app security has increased by 171%, beating the four-year survey with 1 in 4 of all respondents.
Consumers maintained a strong outlook for these top trends in the 2024 survey:
Rewarding Consumer Brands: Consumers can be won over with better protection and even become their advocates, with 92% saying they would be willing to promote security-conscious brands with visible forms of advocacy.
Implications for insecure applications: More than half (54%) of respondents said they had already deleted or stopped using a mobile app due to security or privacy concerns. Elsewhere, 63% of consumers are likely or very likely to stop using a mobile app if it can’t protect them or their data, and 71% of people will abandon a mobile brand after a security breach.
“It’s clear that consumers are taking mobile brand promises and the emerging threat of AI attacks seriously,” said Alan Bavosa, vice president of security products at Appdome. “AI-based attacks will take mobile app risks to a new level, and mobile brands and enterprises must change their cyber delivery models to meet the accelerating threat head-on and maintain user trust and engagement with mobile platforms.”
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