Children and adolescents more vulnerable to mobile threats

A new study from McAfee has found that the increased adoption of mobile devices over laptops has fostered a false sense of security among children and teens using smartphones.

The computer security software company says that despite the unprecedented risk, children and teenagers take the security with which they use smartphones for granted, as these devices have a low level of protection.

McAfee revealed the data when presenting its Consumer Mindset Survey: Mobile Report and Consumer Mobile Threat Report ahead of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

“Meaningful protection is a personal right for consumers, whether families or connected individuals,” said Gagan Singh, executive vice president, chief product and revenue officer, McAfee.

“The common thread that connects these two search offerings is that consumers value the protection of their data, privacy and identity.

“As our use of mobile devices increases rapidly, we must remember that a mobile device is a connected device, just like a computer,” Singh says.

McAfee explains that its Consumer Mindset Survey: Mobile Report collected information from parents and children around the world about their mobile behaviors to better understand how children use mobile devices and how their actual behavior differs from the assumptions of their parents.

He adds that the survey was conducted as part of his 2022 Connected Families research.

Here are some of the key findings of the report:

• While consumers understand that their desktop and laptop computers need protection, awareness of the need for mobile device protection has not kept pace.
  
• Most kids (59%) think a new phone is safer than a new computer, while parents are equally split (49%).
  
• 56% of parents use passwords to protect their mobile devices, but only 41% of children and teens do so, creating security risks.
  
• One in 10 parents reported that children had experienced a financial information leak, and 15% of children reported an attempt to steal their online account.
  
• Parents show greater care and action to protect young children and teenage girls on their mobile devices than boys of the same age, leading to hidden risks for boys, especially older ones. young people who report higher instances of harm.

The company’s Consumer Mobile Threat Report 2022 details new and trending threats posed by cybercriminals to defraud consumers, as well as how cryptocurrencies provide new opportunities for attacks on mobile devices.

Some of the key findings of this report include:

• Mobile smishing (SMS + phishing) attacks use personalized greetings in text messages that claim to be from legitimate organizations to appear more believable. These messages often link to websites with genuine logos, icons, and other graphics, prompting users to enter personal information or download an application. Once downloaded, these apps steal this information, as well as contacts and text messages from consumer devices. McAfee claims the stolen contacts are used to fuel cybercriminals’ campaigns, expanding their network of targets.
  
• Cheat codes and hack apps are popular ways to get extra features in mobile games. Criminals exploit this by adding malicious code to existing open-source apps and promoting them on legitimate email channels. The malware steals account credentials for social media and gaming accounts if installed.
  
• The cryptocurrency market is convenient for attacks on mobile devices. Cybercriminals create bogus applications that promise to mine coins in the cloud for a monthly fee and issue monetary payments to the subscriber. McAfee explains that they take the user’s money but do not mine or increase its value.
  
• Cybercriminals use personal information and high-quality graphics to make their malware look like legitimate applications. Hundreds of these apps promise features like mobile gaming or photo editing and are backed by fake five-star reviews. Once installed, the apps request the user’s phone number and verification PIN and use this information to sign up for premium SMS services that direct payments to criminals.

McAfee suggests the following as good ways to protect users of these devices:

• Having a critical eye and some skepticism are essential tools to protect yourself, your family and your growing collection of digital devices.
  
• Players should be careful when installing game hacks, especially if the hacks ask for superuser permissions. These permissions allow cybercriminals to take control of devices.
  
• Mobile security defenses are evolving and adapting to these types of threats, adding or improving essential features such as phishing and fraud alerts, identity protection, and active notification if personal information is found on the dark web.