Enterprise mobile phishing encounter rates surged 37% between the last quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020, according to Hank Schless, Lookout senior manager of security solutions.
In a recent blog post, Schless highlighted findings from Lookout’s newly released Mobile Phishing Spotlight Report, which shows the COVID outbreak driving a major spike in the social-engineering attacks.
The spike isn’t surprising considering the current situation, he noted.
“Workers are no longer within the protective perimeter of their office-based security controls,” Schless said. “At the same time, many are turning to their personal mobile devices to stay productive. This is especially true for employees who do not have a laptop computer at the office or who don’t have a large monitor at home and want to multitask.”
In this remote work environment, cybercriminals have moved to expand their phishing attacks. They’re leveraging the uncertainty of the times to broaden their range of incursions. Faced with such perils, it is imperative organizations adopt “a comprehensive mobile security solution that is built for a cloud-enabled mobile-first world,” Schless said.