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We produced the Verizon Mobile Security Index (MSI) to help security professionals, such as chief information security officers (CISOs), assess their organization’s mobile security environment and calibrate their defenses. This report is also relevant to anybody involved in the specification, procurement or management of IT devices and services.
In April 2024, we commissioned an independent market research company to survey 600 people responsible for security strategy, policy and management. We also worked with several leaders in mobile device security: Akamai, Allot, CISCO, Fortinet, Ivanti, Jamf and Lookout. These contributors provided additional information, including incident and usage data.
We’d like to thank all our contributors for helping us to present a more complete picture of the threats that affect mobile devices and the work that is being done to mitigate these threats. This report wouldn’t be possible without them.
The depiction of a cell tower on the cover reflects mobile device security issues in critical infrastructure sectors that were seen in this year’s MSI survey responses. Critical infrastructure industries supply the essentials of daily life to millions, including power, water, communications and transportation. In parallel, there are heightened risks from threat actors targeting organizations in these industries, along with an expanding attack surface from increasing IoT and mobile device use. Enhancing mobile device security serves to reduce financial and operational risks for organizations in all industries. In critical infrastructure, it has even more profound implications.
The first iPhone was released in 2007. Mobile devices have evolved dramatically and are now embedded into the daily lives of billions of people around the globe. What’s more, the already healthy use of mobile devices by organizations and their employees shot into the stratosphere during the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote work suddenly became the new normal and kitchens and living rooms were instantly transformed into remote offices.
This 2024 Verizon Mobile Security Index report has some familiar themes—such as the persistence of remote and hybrid work—while also revealing emerging mobile security considerations relating to critical infrastructure sectors, rising internet of things (IoT) deployments and artificial intelligence (AI) advances (from both attack and defense perspectives). We also found interesting differences between respondents’ perceptions and reality. Many assume that they had solid mobile security in place and that incident remediation would be quick and easy. But what those respondents actually report about attacks and breach frequency, along with negative breach impacts and worries told a different story.
In our deeper dive into the critical infrastructure sector, we found that inadequate mobile security in any of the 16 defined critical infrastructure industries could have significant impacts on organizations in these industries and could have downstream impacts on the communities and individuals served.
From the survey data, one primary conclusion can be drawn: The growth of mobile computing and IoT is exponentially expanding the attack surface that needs protection, which in turn will require a matching focus on ensuring sufficient mobile security processes, policies and investments.