Mobile app security survey reveals robust consumer demand

Appdome has unveiled its 4th Annual Global Survey of Mobile App Security, conducted in collaboration with the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP). The survey highlights a significant increase in consumer awareness regarding security, fraud, and privacy threats associated with mobile apps. This aligns with the rising importance of robust mobile app security in an increasingly mobile-reliant world.

According to the survey, the usage of mobile apps is growing rapidly, with 55.3% of respondents indicating a preference for mobile apps over web applications, which only garnered a 22.5% preference. Furthermore, consumer demand for enhanced security in mobile apps is unequivocal.

The survey's key findings reveal that 99.5% of global consumers seek comprehensive protection in their mobile apps, including data security, account integrity, secure logins, data storage and transit protections, as well as malware and fraud prevention. Additionally, 83.5% of consumers expect proactive fraud prevention measures from brands, rather than relying on post-fraud reimbursements.

Andrew van der Stock, Executive Director of OWASP, commented on the survey's relevance, stating, "We're very excited to bring the consumer voice into OWASP's Mobile App Security standard. Our goal has always been to enable mobile app security and development teams to keep their mobile app protections up to date with industry demands. Knowing what protections global end users expect when they use mobile apps in life and work supports our work to ensure robust mobile app protection for everyone."

Additionally, 87.4% of consumers believe that mobile app protection is equally or more important than the app's features when deciding to use it. A significant 90.6% evaluate the security claims of a brand before downloading its app. The survey data also shows that 70.6% of respondents have either experienced or know someone who has experienced social engineering or other fraud attacks.

Tom Tovar, Co-creator and CEO of Appdome, pointed out that "Cyber professionals work tirelessly to keep applications, networks, transactions, and users safe while Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other attacks increase. Global consumers continue their march upward in recognising the importance of this work and it's clear that they overwhelmingly support a broadening cyber, anti-fraud, anti-malware, anti-bot mandate, and higher OWASP standards inside brand and enterprise mobile apps everywhere."

The survey includes responses from over 120,000 consumers across 12 countries and underscores several trends. Among these, 55.3% of global consumers use mobile applications more often than web platforms, with 63.4% using more than six mobile apps weekly. The need for complete protection is at an all-time high, with 99.5% of consumers demanding robust security measures across various aspects, from data integrity to fraud prevention.

Regarding brand loyalty, 94.6% of respondents indicated they would become advocates for brands providing robust app security, with 53.6% opting to offer high levels of advocacy through platforms such as app store reviews and social media endorsements. Conversely, 96.7% are likely to abandon a mobile brand that fails to ensure app security, and 73.9% would recommend others do the same.

Alan Bavosa, Vice President of Security Products at Appdome, highlighted the evolving threat landscape, noting that "AI-based attacks will take mobile app risks to a new level, and mobile brands and enterprises need to change their cyber delivery models to meet the accelerating threat head on and maintain user trust and engagement on mobile platforms."