execMobile's research shows that only 24% of its travellers' mobile data was secured(1), mostly via VPN services from their laptops. So, what about tablets and mobile phones; many have no VPN protection, albeit they carry as much corporate data as a laptop and are the no1 choice for travellers? Let's see how iOS stacks up against Android when using public WiFi.
Research of worldwide mobile data from Skycure(2), highlights the issue is indeed with mobile devices. The research found that on average, mobile devices are more than 25% likely to expose personal and corporate data (to an attack over Wi-Fi) in the first month of monitoring. This number goes above 40% when monitored over a three-month period!
With more than 68% of leisure travellers and 38% of business travellers turning off their mobile data, much of the mobile traffic abroad has historically been carried over public Wi-Fi. Statistics published in a recent Kaspersky Lab report indicate people continue to conduct dangerous activities online; more than half bank (61%) and shop (55%) online via Wi-Fi when they are abroad. Almost half (46%) visit Web sites of a sensitive nature, and 70% post something on social media.
The Skycure research found that Android devices are more than twice as likely to encounter network-related threats than iOS devices, even though iOS devices connect to more Wi-Fi networks. It was found that Android devices are driven to connect to more threatening networks.
Details of the findings are as follows:
* On average, 41% of Android devices will encounter network threats when monitored for a month, while only 19% of iOS devices will encounter a threat in the same period.
* iOS devices connect an average of 17 unique Wi-Fi access points while Android devices connect to about 10 Wi-Fi access points monthly according to the data.
Cybercrime is a real danger for every type of traveller. The second nature of digital communications, plus notably the expectation and pressures to get connected, is driving people to make bad choices when it comes to connectivity abroad.
Trojans are the most prominent mobile threats: they constitute over 95% of mobile malware. Over 98% of mobile banking attacks target Android devices, which also comes as no surprise. Android is the most popular mobile platform in the world (over 80% of global smartphone market), and of all popular mobile platforms only Android allows to side-load software.
It's time to think about protection for your mobile gadgets! The evolution of mobile threats is captured brilliantly via this YouTube video available at https://youtu.be/nZ_56MH_RV4 (Don't worry, this is not a virus link, but it will tell you about them!).
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execMobile provides a secure, mobile Wi-Fi device to provide connectivity when and where it is needed. When abroad simply switch on the device and it will connect to a primary local carrier, at near local cost. Any Wi-Fi capable device can connect to the PocketWifi, providing travellers with their own personal, secure connection to the Internet. Voice and Video are supported via any of the standard Over The Top (OTT) apps such as Skype, WhatsApp or MS Lync.
Those travellers who still want to opt for a pre-paid SIM only solution for their tablets can make use our Value SIMs; they activate on arrival, with data valid for 30 or 90 days in 42 countries - from only 8c/MB!
Our post-paid enterprise solutions provide coverage in 140+ countries from R59/day.
(1) execMobile 2015 Customer Usage Analysis (2) Skycure Threat Intelligence data
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