Lookout, Inc. released the
Lookout Mobile Threat Landscape Report
for Q3 2024. The report highlights insights behind a 17% increase QoQ
in enterprise-focused credential theft and phishing attempts, 32%
increase QoQ in malicious app detections and a trend showing iOS devices
are more exposed to phishing attacks than Android devices. Lookout data
also reveals commoditization of advanced malware, evolution of
nation-state mobile malware capabilities and a heavy reliance on
mobile-focused social engineering - key signs pointing to a new era
where mobile devices must be included in the scope of today's enterprise
security strategy to defend against the
modern kill chain.
The Lookout Mobile Threat Landscape Report is based on data derived from
the Lookout Security Cloud's ever-growing AI-driven mobile dataset of
more than 220 million devices, 360 million apps and billions of web
items. The Lookout Security Cloud has identified 473 million phishing
and malicious sites since 2019. In addition, it leverages AI to analyze
data and identify malware, phishing attacks and other sophisticated
network-based threats.
Lookout data for Q3 2024 also reveals:
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Three significant findings from advanced persistent threat groups (APTs) based in China, Russia and North Korea.
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More than 106,000 malicious apps were detected on enterprise mobile
devices, which can vary widely from trojan malware to sophisticated
spyware.
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Lookout protected customers against 48 new mobile malware families, and
customers were given enhanced protection against 85 known mobile malware
families.
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iOS is more popular for enterprises than Android, therefore Lookout
observed iOS targeted by threat actors more often (18.4%) in phishing
attacks than Android (11.4%) in Q3 2024.
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Top device misconfigurations include out-of-date OS, out-of-date Android
Security Patch Levels (ASPL), no device lock and no encryption.
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The most critical families of mobile malware continued to lean heavily towards Android surveillanceware.
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The top ten most common mobile browser vulnerabilities encountered by
Lookout users affect Chromium-based browsers. Attackers target these
vulnerabilities in particular in hopes users haven't updated to patched
versions.
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Outside of browser vulnerabilities, the five most common mobile app
vulnerabilities encountered by Lookout users were in social media,
messaging and authentication apps and app stores.
The Evolution of the Modern Kill Chain and Enterprise Security Strategy
With the commoditization of advanced malware, evolution of nation-state
mobile malware capabilities, and a heavy reliance on mobile-focused
social engineering, organizations today must have advanced mobile threat
defense as part of their security strategy. Threat actors are
increasingly targeting mobile devices to steal credentials and
infiltrate the enterprise cloud in a pathway known as the modern kill chain. In particular, executive impersonation attacks have risen as a new tactic in the modern kill chain.
To combat new mobile threats, Lookout recently added new features to its Mobile Threat Defense (MTD) solution, Lookout Mobile Endpoint Security,
including protection against executive impersonation texts and smishing
attacks. However, hackers don't stop at impersonation attempts to
infiltrate corporate networks, so security teams must leverage all the
threat intelligence they can get to effectively defend against
sophisticated cyber attacks and stay ahead of evolving threats.
"As cyber threats evolve, we're seeing more and more attacks targeting
mobile devices as the gateway to corporate cloud apps that house
sensitive data. This trend underscores the urgent need for advanced MTD
solutions that not only protect devices but also safeguard the sensitive
data and systems they connect to," said David Richardson, Vice
President of Endpoint, Lookout. "Incorporating advanced MTD as part of a
comprehensive defense strategy is critical to ensuring organizations
can operate securely in a digital-first world."
Lookout Threat Lab: Empowering Security Teams with Mobile Threat Intelligence
Lookout collects and analyzes proprietary data points to provide
customer security teams with comprehensive protection capabilities
against mobile cyber attacks. Its advanced threat intelligence and AI
machine learning technology ensure that mobile devices are safeguarded
from the latest threats.