Omdia Survey Finds Phishing Attacks Top Smartphone Security Concern For Consumers By Investing.com

LONDON, Jan. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A new survey from Omdia reveals that phishing scams are the number one security threat for smartphone users, with 24% of respondents reporting being victims of this attack. Phishing, which includes fake texts, emails, or calls designed to trick people into revealing sensitive personal information, remains a significant concern as cybercriminals continue to prey on unsuspecting consumers.

Omdia surveyed 1,572 consumers across the country The Americans, In Asia & Oceaniaagain In Europe in the middle October 2024 of the fourth annual Omdia Mobile Device Security Scorecard. The survey found that the most common security issue was malware and viruses, followed by physical theft, such as fraud, hacking, or hacking.

In Omdia’s latest test of flagship smartphones, Google’s (NASDAQ: ) Pixel 9 Pro and Samsung’s (KS: ) Galaxy S24 outperformed Apple’s (NASDAQ: ) iPhone 16 Pro and other Android-based devices, incl OnePlus 12, Xiaomi (OTC:) 14, and Respect the Magic 6 Pro. Anti-phishing protection has been a weak point for all devices, as no one has successfully intercepted all phishing texts, calls and emails.

Spam-impersonated phones reveal that all Android devices from Google, Xiaomi, OnePlusHonor, and Samsung successfully flagged suspected spam calls before users responded, while the iPhone 16 Pro lacked similar voice call protection.

No devices fully scanned No device flagged the same phishing emails from Gmail as phishing, only flagging them as spam when sent from Google’s SMTP.

Despite the loopholes for receiving phishing documents and emails, devices with Google Safe Browsing protection successfully blocked the link from opening, displayed a warning screen and required user confirmation to proceed. Performance across browsers is quite different: Samsung Internet successfully blocked many links, including advanced custom URLs, while The Xiaomi Mii and OnePlus Internet browsers failed to warn users about known dangerous links, underscoring the conflict in Android device security.

“The lack of security protection, especially from the growing threat of phishing attacks, erodes consumer confidence,” said Omdia Senior Analyst. Aaron West. “When consumers were asked whether their trust following a security issue increased (because the issue was handled properly) or decreased, 73% reported that they had decreased trust in the smartphone brand and operating system developer.”

“Despite the latest protections implemented by some manufacturers, it is difficult to protect 100% from phishing attempts, which highlights the seriousness of the problem and the potential impact on consumers. That said, smartphone manufacturers can (shown by the most advanced phishing protection available. ) and should have a better anti-phishing base ” like voice call protection, and all Android devices they use Google’s Safe Browsing protection,” it said. Hollie HennessySenior Analyst, Omdia. “This needs to be combined with awareness work from manufacturers and the wider industry to help consumers be aware and prepared”.

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Omdia, part Information (LON:) TechTarget (NASDAQ:), Inc. (Nasdaq: TTGT), is a technology research and advisory group. Our deep knowledge of technology markets combined with our actionable insights empowers organizations to make smart growth decisions.

Contact person

Fashiha Khan: fasiha.khan@omdia.com