[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
Think about everything on your smartphone or tablet right now: your email, your banking app, Microsoft 365, client communications, multifactor authentication codes, and a direct line into your company’s cloud systems.<\/p>\n
For most New Zealand businesses, mobile devices remain one of the biggest blind spots in their cybersecurity strategy. Yet the evidence is clear: attackers know this, and they’re exploiting it.<\/p>\n
Mobile threats are surging at an alarming rate. According to Kaspersky<\/a>, there were 29% more attacks on Android smartphone users in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 , and 48% more compared to the second half of 2024. Meanwhile, Lookout’s 2024 Annual Mobile Threat Report<\/a> found that threat actors, from nation-states to individual criminals, are increasingly targeting mobile devices as their first point of attack \u2014 using them as a gateway to infiltrate corporate cloud systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n And it’s not just Android users who need to worry. In 2024, 26% of iOS devices<\/a> were targeted by phishing attacks, compared to 12% of Android devices,\u00a0meaning Apple’s walled garden offers less protection than many people assume when it comes to social engineering and credential theft.<\/p>\n Closer to home, New Zealanders lost<\/a> an estimated $1.6 billion to online threats in 2024, with 54% of adult New Zealanders having experienced an online threat in the last six months of the year. Phone calls accounted for 46% of threat delivery, and text messages 35%. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_5,2_5″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”rgba(34,34,34,0.1)” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|false|false” border_radii=”on|20px|20px|20px|20px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n A common misconception is that iPhones are inherently safe and that threats primarily target Android. The reality is more nuanced. In early 2024, researchers discovered<\/a> “SparkCat” malware embedded in apps on both Google Play and Apple’s App Store \u2014 marking the first known OCR malware to infiltrate Apple’s official marketplace. Both stores removed the infected apps in February 2025, but telemetry data showed the malware continued spreading through unofficial sources.<\/span><\/p>\n On the Android side, the number of mobile banking trojans detected in the first half of 2025 was nearly four times higher<\/a> than in the first half of 2024, <\/span>with criminals disguising malware as legitimate apps including calculators, banking tools, and reward programs.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="2_5" _builder_version="4.27.5" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}" theme_builder_area="post_content"][et_pb_image src="https:\/\/new.kinetics.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CyberPhone400.png" title_text="CyberPhone400" _builder_version="4.27.5" _module_preset="default" border_radii="on|20px|20px|20px|20px" box_shadow_style="preset1" global_colors_info="{}" theme_builder_area="post_content"][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.27.5" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}" theme_builder_area="post_content"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.27.5" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}" theme_builder_area="post_content"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.27.5" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}" theme_builder_area="post_content" min_height="168px" custom_padding="2px|||||"]<\/p>\n One of the simplest and most overlooked risks is simply failing to keep devices updated. In Q4 2024<\/a>, 17.23% of Android devices were running an operating system version no longer receiving security updates, and 44% of iPhones do not have automatic updates enabled. \u00a0Every unpatched device is an open invitation.<\/strong><\/p>\nNo Operating System Is Immune<\/h2>\n
Outdated Devices Are Open Doors<\/span><\/h2>\n