While the majority of consumers are aware of potential malware attacks on the Android platform, and overwhelmingly understand the critical importance of mobile security, they are still not taking the necessary steps to protect their mobile devices.
A survey from 360 Mobile Security Ltd. found that security in the mobile space is a known quantity to a certain extent: About two-thirds of respondents are aware of weaknesses on the Android platform—and more than 90% of respondents noted that mobile security is "very important."
Top concerns for Android mobile users include untrustworthy apps (27%); online payments (20%); and hackers (13%). Additional concerns were single sign-on, the safety of Wi-Fi connections and personal data leakage.
The firm noted that one particular threat to watch is adware. According to Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, adware grew 136% to 410,000 apps between 2013 and first three quarters of 2014, giving attackers access to personal information such as contact, which can subsequently be used to launch phishing attacks.
However, these concerns are alarmingly out of step with precautions. Nearly half of the respondents are not (or unsure if they are) using a security app on their personal smartphone device. And, approximately half didn't even know they needed an app.
Further, consumers fail to see the value for such apps. More than 80% of respondents said that they want to spend less than $4.99 on a security app; moreover, 44% of respondents said they don’t want to pay for an app at all.
"The survey results are a good reminder that while today's consumers are aware of threats to the Android platform, most are not leveraging the tools and apps needed to protect themselves,” said Yan Huang, COO of 360 Mobile Security. “Our 360 Security app is free for download in the Google Play store and will keep consumers—around the globe—safe from suspicious activities, while boosting overall device performance."