iOS users are more likely to fall victim to phishing than Android owners

In Q3 2024, iOS devices showed a higher vulnerability to phishing attacks compared to Android devices. According to a study by Lookout, covering 220 million mobile devices and 360 million apps, 18.4% of iOS device owners were subjected to phishing attacks compared to 11.4% of Android users. This is reported by Forbes, citing the published analysis.

Study details

Lookout, a cloud security company, analyzed data from its system, which has recorded more than 473 million malicious websites, including phishing ones, since 2019. The study found that enterprise iOS users are at even greater risk: 19% of enterprise iOS devices were subjected to at least one attack, while among Android devices this figure was 10.9%.

Why iOS is becoming the main target

One of the reasons for this difference is the widespread use of iOS among enterprise users. Lookout has twice as many iOS devices as Android devices, making Apple owners a particularly attractive target for cybercriminals.

However, prevalence is not the only factor. Apple devices are perceived by hackers as a more “premium” target given the brand’s reputation and iOS users’ propensity to spend more.

Key Takeaways

Phishing attacks continue to be one of the most popular tactics for cybercriminals to steal data. iOS device owners, especially in the enterprise environment, are advised to:

• Pay attention to security settings, including anti-phishing features.
• Use cybersecurity apps.
• Be careful when opening links in emails and messages, even if they appear legitimate.

Despite the high security reputation of the Apple ecosystem, iOS users are advised to remain vigilant to minimize the risk of encountering phishing attacks.