Top Reasons Why Consumers Shun Mobile Security Apps

Almost half of consumers in a survey commissioned by Bitdefender admitted to not using a dedicated security solution on their mobile device, even though the vast majority of them use their phone for sensitive transactions.

Our survey, conducted by leading market research firm Censuswide, revealed that 55.5% of consumers had (or believed they had) dedicated security installed on their phones – encouraging numbers, were it not for the fact that many Android vendors pre-install “security” solutions that typically expire after a trial period.

Many users likely postpone their purchase, forget or refuse to buy altogether. In fact, as we note in our report, many users aren’t even aware they can buy security on their phone.

Credit: Bitdefender

This leaves 44.5% who don’t use a dedicated mobile security app or solution. Yet 78.3% of respondents said they use their phone to do banking, access healthcare data, manage investments, trade crypto – essentially manage important data and/or conduct sensitive transactions.

Credit: Bitdefender

It’s no surprise that consumers’ attitude towards security doesn’t always match their stated habits. Many, if not most, surveys show these types of discrepancies. But we also wanted to know the actual reasons behind consumers’ reluctance to not deploy a security solution.

Credit: Bitdefender

Unsurprisingly, of those who refuse to install dedicated security on their phone, 38% trust their vendor to handle the problem. In second place, 23.2% say they didn’t even know they could buy mobile security. Over a fifth (21.3%) are aware they could buy security on their phone but feel it’s too expensive.

19.4% feel safe without added security on their device. 13.3% admit they have no particular reason to ignore mobile security. And 11.55% entertain the idea that such a solution will slow down their phone.

The results echo findings from a similar survey commissioned by Bitdefender in 2021, when most reasons cited for shunning mobile security were basically misconceptions.

For example, while vendors do make tremendous efforts to thwart security threats, the reality is that no software is immune to hacks – especially in targeted attacks.

Another misconception is that the security solution slows down the device. Mobile security apps typically work silently in the background with minimal impact on system resources.

Mobile security being too expensive is another misbelief. Most such solutions are, in fact, very affordable – especially considering that they are designed to actually protect our finances, among other things.

Solutions like Bitdefender Mobile Security:

·      detect malicious apps

·      scan the device for potential threats

·      scan incoming communications (SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord etc.) for scams and malicious links

·      press the user to deploy the latest security update which typically carries important patches for newly exploited vulnerabilities

·      include VPN to boost intimacy

… and more.

For the full range of findings in our survey, be sure to download the free 2024 Consumer Cybersecurity Assessment Report.