Mobile cyber threats on the rise, but awareness still low: Experts

Smartphones are gaining currency in the Indian market, but their owners still show apathy towards protecting themselves from cyber threats, say cyber-security experts.

Lack of awareness of device vulnerability is seen as one main reason why information and data security of smartphones is not a priority, they said.

According to data (mostly India-specific) from cyber security firm Quick Heal, over 3,000 Android malware are reported per day. And yet, this doesn’t show a complete picture as many attacks go unreported.

Data from cyber security firm Symantec states that after the US (24.7 per cent), India was the top country for mobile malware in 2018 (23.6 per cent). However, awareness and action to protect mobile devices from threats remain low in the country.