NETUCATION Blog

Tag: smartphones

  • More than 80% of Smartphones Remain Unprotected from Malware and Attacks

    New findings from leading hi-tech analysts, Juniper Research, finds that more than 80% of the total enterprise and consumer owned smartphone device base will remain unprotected through 2013, despite a steadily increasing consumer awareness of mobile security products. These consumers need to know what is malware and how it will harm the security of their devices.

    Juniper claims that the low level of adoption of security software can be attributed to a number of factors, including the relatively low consumer awareness about online attack on mobile devices and a widespread consumer perception that the price of security products is excessive.

    The report found that nearly 1.3 billion mobile devices including smartphones, featurephones and tablets are expected to have mobile security software installed by 2018, up from around 325 million this year.

    Increasing Risks for Mobile

    The Mobile Security: BYOD, mCommerce, Consumer & Enterprise 2013-2018 report found that security risks are also on the rise due to an explosion of mobile malware over the last two years. It found that cyber criminals are transitioning their focus from PCs onto the mobile platform – across both enterprise and consumer segments. These findings support Trend Micro’s data showing that that there will be more than 1 million malwares in the market by the end of this year.

    Nevertheless, the report asserted that steadily increasing consumer awareness, allied to far greater visibility of product adoption levels, had resulted in rapid service adoption during H2 2012, leading to higher than anticipated service revenues.

    Growth in the Enterprise Segment

    Juniper found that growth in the enterprise space for security products is being fuelled by a number of factors, including increases in IT budgets and greater implementation of security policies and security products; along with training for employees. However, with the trend of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) where employees bring their own computing devices to the workplace becoming increasingly common, a single policy or measure may not be sufficient and a unified perspective on mobile platform risks is critical.

    Other Key Findings

    • Despite the prevalence of free security software, the scale of cyber-crime’s expansion in the mobile arena offers a clear opportunity for the creation of a new revenue streams for mobile security providers.
    • Device manufacturers and security vendors need to strike a balance between security and user-friendliness.

    The Mobile Security – What’s the Risk? Whitepaper is available to download from the Juniper website together with further details of the full report and the attendant Mobile Security Interactive Forecast Excel.

    Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary. You can navigate to this website for more information on how your internet provider can help you secure your connection.

  • Web goes truly worldwide with smartphones

    In the past five years we’ve grown accustomed to a fundamental shift in the nature of the online space. That is, online went from a place you accessed from your desktop, to a place you accessed from anywhere. And it all happened, of course, via the smartphone.

    It’s hard to believe that it’s not yet six years since the launch of the iPhone. In that short time, mobile internet has transformed the way we shop, consume content, communicate with one another, navigate through our cities, monitor our health, manage our schedules – the list is endless. Now, the smartphone wars – the battle for control of the smartphone market – rage like a never-ending thunderstorm: witness the recent wall-to-wall coverage of the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S4.

    So mobile internet has changed the way we live. But consider this fundamental fact: we’re still closer to the beginning of the journey than the end. If on-the-go access to the global brain has transformed our lives already, consider how much more it will do so when everyone has a smartphone.

    Now, key signs show that we’re at the tipping point that will take us to that moment. The research firm Comscore say smartphone penetration in the US and Europe ticked over the crucial 50 per cent threshold in December 2012: for the first time ever in those regions, more people own a smartphone than do not.

    But the movement is being fuelled by the staggering uptake of smartphones in emerging markets. In 2011 there were around 70 million active smartphones in China. Now, according to the research firm iiMedia, there are 330 million; that’s more than the 320 million registered in the US. It’s estimated that China will reach 500 million smartphone users by the end of this year. No wonder Apple is reputed to be working on a low-cost iPhone for China: a move that could further accelerate uptake across Asia, South America and Africa.

    Click here to read the full article

    source:  The National /