Security on Mobile Devices: A Survey of Users ’ Attitudes and Opinions

With greater number of people using mobile devices than desktops over the last few years has left many subscribers using the same functionalities which are found on desktop computers but with little security features to protect them from risks and attacks. This paper presents the survey results of over 300 subscribers, which evaluates their attitudes and opinions about mobile security, as well as their perception towards future security features on mobile devices. It is clear from the survey’s results that there is an apparent difference between users wanting more security features on their mobile device but not currently using what is available. With 68 % of the survey respondents either ‘somewhat concerned ’ or ‘very concerned ’ about mobile security and 63 % of the participants wanting more security features on their mobile device, this prompts issues for further investigation. Furthermore, despite users becoming more concerned and aware of security threats and risks on mobile devices, 43 % are not taking any precautions to protect their devices from unauthorised access