NowSecure (www.nowsecure.com), which specializes in mobile-focused security solutions, has revealed the results of its highly anticipated 2016 NowSecure Mobile Security Report – offering a detailed look into the current state of mobile security.

Statistics from the report included that a quarter of all mobile apps have at least one high risk security flaw, 35% of communications sent by mobile devices are unencrypted, and the average mobile device connects to 160 unique servers each day.

The report featured findings from five popular app categories: Business, Finance, Games, Shopping, and Social. NowSecure found that Business apps are three times more likely to leak login credentials than the average app, while Game apps are one-and-a-half times more likely to include a high-risk vulnerability than the average app.

“Leaky apps are the number one security problem facing mobile users today. They transmit and/or store private user information and have vulnerabilities that can result in the loss of private, sensitive user data,” said Andrew Hoog, CEO and founder of NowSecure. “We conducted this extensive research and reported our findings to make mobile users, as well as enterprise IT and security teams aware of the danger of mobile devices and apps storing and transmitting sensitive and personal data insecurely.”
Consumers concerned about the security of their mobile devices and apps should take the following precautions:

• Enable a passcode, PIN, or pattern lock on their device
• Log out of mobile apps when not in use
• Only download apps from the official Apple App Store and Google Play
• Update operating systems and apps when new versions are available
• Avoid unsecured Wi-Fi.

In addition, because a lot of mobile risk is hidden from users, NowSecure will soon launch a new security app for Android and iOS devices – NowSecure Protect. The app identifies security issues and vulnerabilities on a user’s device in real-time and provides simple instructions about how to make their phone or tablet more secure.