2011-01-01
Abstract
Mobile users reach phishing sites quicker than non-mobile users and more likely to enter personal details.
Copyright © 2011 Virus Bulletin
Recent research conducted by online banking security firm Trusteer has indicated that those who use a mobile device to access the Internet are three times more likely to fall victim to phishing scams than those using a standard desktop PC.
Researchers analysed the log files of several web servers that were hosting phishing websites and were able to determine how many users accessed the websites, when they visited them, whether they submitted their login information and what devices they used to access the website. They found that not only are mobile device users the first to arrive at phishing sites, but they are also three times more likely to submit their login details than other users.
Trusteer suggests that reason for mobile users being quicker to access the sites than non-mobile users is that mobile devices tend to be carried with the user, allowing the user to read emails (and take action) as and when they arrive – whereas users of a desktop PC would only read emails when they have access to their computer. The company says that the fact that mobile users appear to be more gullible than their non-mobile counterparts may be explained by the fact that it is harder to spot a phishing website on a mobile device than on a desktop computer – for example the full URL may not be visible.
