The IT Nerd

A new global survey by Lookout, Inc. today unveiled concerning insights into the state of mobile cybersecurity preparedness, revealing a significant gap between security leaders’ confidence and the actual vulnerability of their organizations. The survey of more than 700 security leaders globally exposes a pervasive overconfidence in employees’ ability to detect modern mobile-centric threats, leaving businesses significantly more exposed than they realize.

The survey’s most critical insights include:

• 58% of companies have experienced incidents due to executive impersonation scams via text or voice, highlighting the severe impact of sophisticated social engineering tactics.
• 77% of respondents have experienced one or more mobile phishing attacks in the past six months, underscoring the ubiquity of these threats.
• 51% admit to having inconsistent visibility of social engineering attempts, creating massive security blind spots.

Despite these alarming statistics, the survey revealed pervasive overconfidence: 96% of leaders are confident their employees can spot a phishing attempt that comes via their mobile devices. Yet, over half reported incidents where employees fell victim to executive impersonation scams, leading to financial loss or sensitive data exposure. Furthermore, even with widespread security training efforts, “lack of training” remains the top reason cited for employees clicking suspicious links, suggesting current education may not be keeping pace with the rapidly evolving modern threat landscape.

These findings highlight core issues:

• A dangerous overconfidence gap: Organizations feel ready for threats but are demonstrably underprepared, leading to successful attacks.
• Inadequate visibility: Traditional security solutions often lack visibility into mobile-centric social engineering attempts, meaning many manipulative efforts go unnoticed until it’s too late.
• Outdated training: Security awareness training isn’t evolving fast enough to truly prepare employees for today’s sophisticated, mobile-focused threats.

To address these pressing challenges, Lookout emphasizes a multi-faceted approach to secure the “front line” – employees and their mobile devices. This includes:

• Implementing an AI-first social engineering and human risk solution: This provides baseline protection against today’s Modern Kill Chain.
• Integrating Mobile Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Gaining strategic mobile security data points, such as vulnerable assets and web traffic analysis, by integrating EDR into existing SIEM, SOAR, EDR, or XDR solutions.
• Sophisticated and ongoing security awareness training: Training specifically designed for mobile-centric threats, including simulated phishing and social engineering exercises that reflect current malicious tactics, fostering a culture of vigilance and easy, judgment-free reporting.

The report can be found here: https://mms.businesswire.com/media/20250710838048/en/2520234/1/lookout-2025-simplydirect-survey-report-us.pdf?download=1.

About the Survey

The data presented in this report is sourced from the independent research company Censuswide, which conducted the survey in June 2025. More than 700 security leaders globally were polled across various industries. Censuswide is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles.

In the holiday spirit, Lookout Inc. is warning employees and businesses that phishing attacks across organizations and personal devices are expected to more than double this week, based on historical data. 

This week as the holiday shopping season kicks off, many employees will be working (and shopping) on their mobile devices, and, as this is part of a more modern business model, the mobile devices these employees use are traditionally neglected by corporate cyber security strategies. This creates a perfect environment for hackers to carry out socially engineered phishing attacks leading to credential theft and direct access to sensitive corporate data. 

Lookout surveyed 1,515 employees yielding the following notable data points: 

• 63% admit that they are more distracted during Thanksgiving week  
• 89% will capitalize on Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales  
• 57% admit they are more likely to click on unfamiliar links in search of good deals 
• 66% will shop on personal mobile phones  
• 47% reported their employer provides no mobile security platform 

“As employees are distracted by shopping on their mobile device, CISOs face a significant phishing risk. But rather than just focusing on the particular methods attackers may use this Thanksgiving, businesses should take a data-centric approach and monitor for changes in user behavior and anomalous data transfers,” said David Richardson, Vice President of Endpoint and Threat Intelligence, Lookout.

George McGregor, VP, Approov Mobile Security had this to say:

   “Half the employees surveyed report that their employers provide no mobile security for their devices! 

   “Two types of security leaders should read this report with trepidation: Enterprise leaders must ensure the enterprise apps their employees use are protected, and e-commerce app owners must put in place effective mobile security to protect their apps.”

Emily Phelps, Director, Cyware follows with this:

   “Phishing emails are like those ugly holiday sweaters: unwanted and sometimes hard to identify. They might promise you a free PlayStation 5 or a lifetime supply of gingerbread cookies, but don’t take the bait and never click on mysterious links or attachments! Always check the legitimacy of websites. A missing padlock icon in the address bar is an indicator to dash away, dash away, dash away all!”

Phishing attacks are dangerous to begin with. But at this time of year, they are insanely dangerous. That means everyone needs to be more focused on spotting these sorts of attacks so that they don’t become a victim.

Today, April 3rd, is World Cloud Security Day which raises awareness of the emerging threats individuals and organizations face when team members use their personal cell phones and computers to access corporate data remotely. These threats include malware, denial of service, and password attacks.

According to Lookout’s The State of Remote Work Security 2023 survey – a study of 3,000 remote and hybrid workers from enterprise companies in the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany — data results presented below highlight the behaviors of remote workers that put an organization at risk.

• 81% of CIOs report their company had experienced a Wi-Fi-related security incident in the last year, with 62% of Wi-Fi-related security incidents occurring in cafes and coffee shops.
• 43% of remote workers have downloaded, saved, or sent work-related materials to a personal account for convenience; and
• 57% of remote workers have sent an email from their work account to a personal one for convenience.
• 56% say they often do work and personal tasks on the same device.
• Fully remote workers (72%) are more likely to do personal tasks during work hours than hybrid workers (54%); and
• 32% of remote workers use apps or software for convenience reasons, which are not approved by their IT department. 

Please download the the full report here to find out: 

• What are the implications for IT security in the wake of the transition to remote work? 
• What sort of employee practices increase the risk of sensitive data falling into an insecure environment?
• How does an organization best protect its data when employees spend 20+ hours per week on their personal mobile devices. 

By Hank Schless, Senior Manager of Security Solutions at Lookout

This week is Fraud Awareness Week and the conversation is all about knowing how to best protect ourselves in a constantly evolving and quite scary cyberworld. According to the Better Business Bureau’s naughty list of the top 12 holiday shopping scams this Christmas season, the two most prevalent scams are misleading social media ads and social media gift exchange scams. 

The Internet Crime Complaint Center’s (IC3) 2021 reported that non-payment or non-delivery scams cost people more than $337 million. Credit card fraud accounted for another $173 million in losses. Lookout, the leader in delivering integrated Security, Privacy, and Identity Theft Protection solutions, is here in time with the perfect gift for keeping your wallet and data safe this season.  

Tips To Stay Safe This Holiday Season

Exercise Savvy Shopping

• If you’re purchasing from a company for the first time, do your research and check reviews.
• Verify the legitimacy of a buyer or seller before moving forward with a purchase. If you’re using an online marketplace check their feedback rating. Be wary of buyers and sellers with mostly unfavorable feedback ratings or no ratings at all.

Watch for “Red Flags” When Paying Online

• Avoid paying for items with prepaid gift cards. In these scams, a seller will ask you to send them a gift card number and PIN. Instead of using that gift card for your payment, the scammer will steal the funds, and you’ll never receive your item. 
• Use a credit card when shopping online and check your statement regularly. If you see a suspicious transaction, contact your credit card company to dispute the charge.

Avoid Shipping Pitfalls 

• Always get tracking numbers for items you buy online, so you can make sure they have been shipped and can follow the delivery process.
• Avoid buyers who request their purchase be shipped using a certain method to avoid customs or taxes inside another country.

Enable Security Protection To Block Shopping Scams & Threats

• Run security protection on your mobile devices – like Lookout’s security application – which is an app you can download from Google Play or the App Store. Security protection will automatically monitor and identify scam URLs in email, text messages, and on the web and block you from threats that can do harm.
• Gift Card Scams:
  • CVS, Walmart & Home Depot 
  • The FTC reports that around $10 million a month has been lost globally to these scams. 
  • About one in four people who tell the FTC they lost money to fraud say they paid with a gift card.(1) In fact, gift cards have topped the list of reported fraud payment methods every year since 2018. During that time, people reported losing a total of nearly $245 million, with a median individual loss of $840.(2)
  • https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/603028/beware-of-gift-card-scams 

All consumers can scan their email for FREE on Lookout’s website to learn about breaches that may have occurred & take action to secure their data.

By Hank Schless, Senior Manager of Security Solutions at Lookout

With digital scams on the rise, it’s growing increasingly difficult to discern if an email, text message, phone call or website is legitimate or not. More people are reporting losing time and money due to online scams, and in particular, elderly individuals report falling victim. In 2021, over 92,000 victims over the age of 60 reported losses of $1.7 billion to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). This is a whopping 74 percent increase over losses reported in 2020. The number one area of attacks were in tech support fraud, including identity theft and personal data breaches. 

Luckily, by taking a few key steps, people of all ages can reduce the risk of scams, and online fraud. In honor of Cyber Security Month, Lookout has provided the below tips that family members can take to best protect parents and elderly family members from digital risks.  

• Check the “sent from” email address: Real companies will send from their own domain. One easy way to check for authenticity is to make sure a company email isn’t coming from an address ending in “@gmail.com” or  “@yahoo.com”.

• Go directly to the source: If you receive an email requiring action from you, usually involving private information like social security, birthday, bank information, or more, immediately call the company this message is reportedly from. 

• Beware of urgency: Be wary of urgent demand or emails that require immediate action and divulgence of personal information. “Emergencies” can sometimes cause people to act without fully understanding the request or the implications of them, which make them a common tool for cybercriminals.

• Watch for obvious misspellings and grammatical errors: Professional newsletters, notifications, and other email messages go through several rounds of approvals before distribution, so emails that include spelling errors and odd punctuation can be a sign of a scam.

• Set Stronger Passwords 

• Use  Two-Factor Authentication: This makes it harder for hackers to access your account, and will alert you to any potential hacking attempts.  

• Password Changes
  Regularly change the password to your most important accounts. This will help prevent hackers from getting access. Make sure you use a combination of letters and numbers for the best protection. If your information has been compromised in a data breach, act immediately.

• Install Security Software On Your Devices
  Security protection, like Lookout, will automatically monitor and identify scam URLs in email, text messages, and on the web and block you from threats that can do harm.

By Hank Schless, Senior Manager of Security Solutions at Lookout. 

Online scammers create new and deceptive schemes every day in hopes of swindling unsuspecting victims out of their time, money and resources. Consumers reported $5.8 billion in fraud to the Federal Trade Commission last year, a 70 percent increase from 2020. Here are some of the trending scams:

• Romance Meets Cryptocurrency: In 2021, online daters lost a record $547 million to romance scams, according to a report from the Federal Trade Commission. Scammers are now using online dating platforms to trick victims into investing in cryptocurrency accounts before disappearing with their money. It’s a months-long trust building scam known as “pig butchering.”
• SIM Swapping: This is an attack where scammers fake your identity with a mobile carrier to gain access to your phone. From there, they use “Forgot Password” for critical online accounts – think banking, investments and social media – to intercept two-factor authentication text messages. In 2021, this scam resulted in losses over $68 million and is still a very popular and effective scam today. 
• Back To School Scams: In August, many parents post “first day of school” photos on social media with their child holding a chalkboard or sign with details about the child’s teacher, school, birth date, height, interests, favorite colors, etc. While it’s wonderful to share updates with friends and family, the Better Business Bureau issued a warning to families about oversharing personal information on social media due to privacy concerns and online scammers. The Federal Trade Commission also issued a warning about back-to-school shoppers being targeted by online scams. 
• Rental Scams: This scam is not necessarily “new” and traditionally targets consumers trying to rent a home, but with the red hot rental market and usage of social media websites to advertise rental properties, this scam has regained steam. According to the FBI, 11,578 people nationwide reported losing over $350 million through rental and real estate scams in 2021 with a major uptick of victims this summer. There’s even a spinoff of this scam for vacation rentals. 

By: Hank Schless, Senior Manager of Security Solutions at Lookout

Great news for student borrowers everywhere: the White House has announced a plan for student loan relief. There are currently 45 million borrowers in the U.S. with debt totaling over $1.6 trillion. Many borrowers are rejoicing at this news, and unfortunately, so are cybercriminals who see a new opportunity to exploit consumers. The Federal Trade Commission previously issued a warning about student loan scams because of the uptick in loan forgiveness scams during the pandemic and moratorium on payments. 

Now that a student loan relief program has arrived, Lookout, the leader in delivering integrated Security, Privacy, and Identity Theft Protection solutions, has provided proactive safety  steps borrowers can take to protect their identity, data, and bank accounts in anticipation of student loan forgiveness scams. 

• Check the “sent from” email address: Real loan servicers will send emails from their own domain. One easy way to check for authenticity is to make sure a company email isn’t coming from an address ending in “@gmail.com” or  “@yahoo.com”.
• Go directly to the source: If you receive a phone call or  email requiring action from you, usually involving private information like a social security number, birthday, bank information, or more, immediately go directly to the validated website of the  company or organization the message is reportedly from to locate a valid phone number or email to contact. When in doubt, go directly to the official loan forgiveness website:  www.studentaid.gov. 
• Beware of urgency: Be wary of urgent demand via phone calls or emails that require immediate action and divulgence of personal information. “Emergencies” can sometimes cause people to act without fully understanding the request or the implications of them, which make them a common tool for cybercriminals.
• Install security software on your devices: Security protection, like Lookout, will automatically monitor and identify scam URLs in email, text messages, and on the web and block you from threats that can do harm. The security software will also track if your information is compromised in a data breach. 

By Hank Schless, Senior Manager of Security Solutions at Lookout

Imagine your phone isn’t working. It’s odd, but this should be an easy fix. You contact your phone carrier and you’re told that you requested a new sim card. But you never requested a sim card or called before today. If this happened to you, then you could be the latest victim of a very popular, effective and nightmarish scam. 

Sim swapping is an attack where scammers fake your identity with a mobile carrier to gain access to your phone. From there, they use “Forgot Password” for critical online accounts – think banking, investments and social media – to intercept two-factor authentication text messages. In 2021, this scam resulted in losses over $68 million. 

Lookout, the leader in delivering integrated Security, Privacy, and Identity Theft Protection solutions, has gathered the top ways you can protect yourself from sim swapping: 

• Diversify Your Multi-Factor Authentication
  Think beyond SMS messages. Use strong multi-factor authentication methods such as biometrics, physical security tokens, or standalone authentication applications to access online accounts.

• Don’t Overshare Online
  Avoid sharing your phone number, address or birth date in online spaces. This private information can be shared with a phone carrier to fake your identity and gain access to your sim card. 

• Use a Variety of Passwords 
  Use strong and unique passwords for each important online account and change them often.

• Don’t Share Login Details On The Phone 
  If you receive a call from your phone carrier requesting private account details, hang up and call the customer service line directly. 

• Install Security Software On Your Devices
  Security protection, like Lookout, will automatically monitor and identify scam URLs in email, text messages, and on the web and block you from threats that can do harm.

By Hank Schless, Senior Manager of Security Solutions at Lookout

Technology has transformed the hustle and bustle of back-to-school season. According to a recent survey, 35% of school shopping is done online and 65% of those purchases are done from a smartphone. But what is convenient for some is also an opportunity for scammers to exploit consumers during a very busy time of year. The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about back-to-school shoppers being targeted by online scams. 

In honor of National Back to School Prep Day on Monday, August 15, Lookout, the leader in delivering integrated Security, Privacy, and Identity Theft Protection solutions, has provided immediate steps consumers can take to ensure a safe online shopping experience. 

• Stop Before You Click
  If you are not certain that a message is from a legitimate source, avoid clicking on links or attachments in emails, on websites, or on social media. Beware of deals that seem too good to be true. 

• Only Use Unique & Strong Passwords 
  Immediately update any old passwords that have been compromised online. Enable two-factor authentication. 

• Install Security Software On Your Devices
  Security protection, like Lookout, will automatically monitor and identify scam URLs in email, text messages, and on the web and block you from threats that can do harm.

By Hank Schless, Senior Manager of Security Solutions at Lookout

Has your phone been acting strangely? Maybe you’ve noticed mysterious apps, or your battery is draining  quicker than usual. While these activities don’t always mean your phone is at risk,  they could be important signs that your device is compromised leaving your personal data at risk.

Lookout, the leader in delivering integrated Security, Privacy, and Identity Theft Protection solutions, has gathered the most common signs that your phone compromised : 

• Overheating Phone
  It’s possible that threat actors may be transferring a lot of your data to their remote server from your device, making your cell phone overloaded with work.

• Random Apps Downloaded
  Hackers can be responsible for installing apps that spy and monitor your activity – check and remove every app that seems suspicious or unfamiliar.

• Lagging Performance 
  Malware creeped onto your phone by hackers could very well slow down your processor – ensuring dropped calls, undelivered texts, crashing and freezing. 

• Consistent Intrusive Pop-Ups
  An unusual amount of pop-up ads, home screen updates or bookmarks to unknown websites could be a sign of an adware infection. Steer clear! 

• Weak Battery Performance
  Unwanted apps installed on your phone can hijack your phone’s resources and drain your battery quickly.

To be proactive about your security and protection, download the https://protection.lookout.com/ app for all of your devices.