The vast majority of people using mobile technology today say that they do not necessarily trust it, according to Juniper Networks Trusted Mobility Index, which is based on a survey of 4,037 mobile device users and IT decision makers. The report found more people are using mobile device applications and services than ever, and accessing and entering critical personal and professional information over wireless networks, but the speed of mobile adoption is fast outpacing consumer confidence in mobile device security.
According to the report, 63 percent of mobile phone owners asked are at a crossroads and simply do not know if they should trust that their mobile experiences are secure. Just 15 percent of respondents have a great deal of confidence in the security of their mobile devices and services. The survey found that all it would take is a single security vulnerabilityreal or perceivedfor people to change their mobile behaviors or abandon certain mobile services altogether.
Mobile users rank network security (69 percent) and network reliability (45 percent) as the top two drivers of trust in their mobile devices, followed by device security (43 percent). The majority of mobile device users (63 percent) hold service providers most responsible for protecting their sensitive data, followed by device manufacturers (38 percent) and software security providers (34 percent). For advice on mobile security, people look to industry security experts (20 percent), service providers (14 percent), software security providers (13 percent) and device manufacturers (10 percent).
“The mobile revolution is unleashing massive opportunities, but our research shows we are at a critical turning point. The speed and scale at which mobile innovations can have a positive impact on society will depend on the industry’s ability to address new security vulnerabilities before they undermine people’s sense of safety, Nawaf Bitar, senior vice president of Junipers security business unit, said in a prepared statement. We must act now to protect and preserve trust in mobility.”
The report warned that this dearth of faith in mobile security could hamper growth in the industry as users who experience a security breach drop services or devices, noting that the majority of people (71 percent) said they would stop using critical services like online banking (78 percent), they would no longer send private communications (57 percent) and they would stop viewing medical (54 percent) or work-related information (52 percent).
“Building trust in mobility is just as important as building great networks and powerful applications, Junipers chief mobile security evangelist Dan Hoffman said in a statement. Creating a safer, more secure and trusted mobile experience requires a sustained, collective effort by mobile service providers, device manufacturers, software developers, networking companies and security experts.