New research has revealed a dangerous gap between confidence and reality in mobile app security. While 93% of organizations believe their applications are secure and 97% report having updated security policies, 62% still experienced breaches in the past year—averaging nine incidents each.
Malware attacks hit more than half of the surveyed firms (52%), followed by data breaches (45%), unauthorized access (37%), and credential theft (37%). The primary driver, according to respondents, is pressure to speed up release cycles, with 74% of teams pushed to meet faster time-to-market demands and 71% admitting security often suffers as a result.
Roel Caers, CEO of Guardsquare, warned that treating security as an obstacle is a costly mistake: “The trade-off between speed and security is a false choice. Organizations need a proactive approach where security supports, not hinders, innovation.”
Despite improvements in areas such as data encryption (69%), application testing (63%), and threat monitoring (59%), adoption of proactive defenses remains low. Nearly 70% of organizations do not use code obfuscation, and 60% lack Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP), leaving apps exposed to advanced attacks. Alarmingly, 39% still rely on DIY or OS-level security measures.
The impact of breaches extends beyond financial costs. Over half of the organizations reported downtime, 48% suffered data leaks, and 41% saw customer trust erode. Most firms (85%) admitted they only invest in security after suffering an incident—highlighting a reactive rather than preventive mindset.
Melinda Marks, cybersecurity practice director at Enterprise Strategy Group, emphasized the urgency: “Attackers exploit mobile app vulnerabilities. Security teams must adopt proactive measures with the right tools to stay ahead of evolving threats.”
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News Source: ITPro.com
