Mobile Anti-Malware Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023-2028)

The mobile anti-malware market is poised to register a CAGR of 18.4% in the upcoming 5 years. The growing use of BYOD in enterprises for factors such as enabling mobile workstations, convenience, and talent retention is boosting the demand for mobile anti-malware solutions. Malware has been a big threat to mobile consumers over the last decade. Trojans are difficult to detect, have a wide range of capabilities, and are often used by cybercriminals. Furthermore, smartphone usage is rapidly exceeding that of other home gadgets, thereby driving demand.

Key Highlights

• Because of the increasing number of malware attacks on smartphones and the increasing use of the 'bring your own device' (BYOD) concept among enterprises, the mobile anti-malware industry has grown dramatically in recent years. Enterprises are also quickly putting in place multi-layered protection against threats to their corporate information and data, which is helping the market grow.
• Furthermore, there has been an increase in cyber attacks as a result of the internet's infiltration into people's lives and their rising dependence on this medium for communication, which contributes to the deployment of anti-malware software. The ever-changing smartphone market provides significant prospects for industry participants and manufacturers as well.
• According to a report published by Proofpoint and conducted by the Ponemon Institute, the first quarter of 2022 is experiencing a huge increase in malware attacks on smartphones. Malware has increased by 500% across Europe and North America.
• Malware threats and concerns about mobile device security are limiting the use of mobile antivirus on devices.But free anti-malware software is becoming more common on new devices, and many companies offer awareness programs, so this problem should be solved.
• Government restrictions established in response to the coronavirus outbreak have encouraged people to work from home or even stay at home. As a result, technology has increased in importance in both professional and personal lives. Despite rising demand for technology, many organizations continue to lack a 'cyber-safe' remote-working environment. Business meetings used to be done in person, but nowadays, the majority are held remotely.

During COVID-19, Swissinfo.ch reported numbers from the NCSC (National Cyber Security Center) indicating that 350 cases of cyberattacks (phishing, fake websites, direct attacks on enterprises, etc.) were registered in Switzerland in April, compared to the usual 100-150. The coronavirus pandemic and the increase in working from home were identified as significant reasons for this rise, as people working from home do not have the same level of inherent protection or deterrent measures as those functioning in a working setting. This will accelerate market development in the next few years.

Mobile Anti-Malware Market Trends

Rising Demand for Android OS Based Devices Augmented the Market

Malware campaigns have targeted users on Google Play almost since its inception. From the very first banking Trojan, dubbed Droid09, to the latest ad-click fraud and Bitcoin-mining latent apps, they plague the store week after week.

• In 2022, for example, Bitdefender found a large number of malicious apps in the official store that sent aggressive, unwanted ads that could lead to more serious attacks.They have identified 35 applications that have snuck into the Play Store, totaling over two million downloads. These apps hide their presence on the device by renaming themselves and changing their icon, then start serving aggressive ads. After being installed, the applications change their name and icon to confuse the user and hide the fact that they are there.
• The malware is specifically designed to spread and share the malware to as many devices as possible around the world, and Android is the most popular mobile operating system.According to StatCounter, by Quarter 4 of 2022, Android OS's global market share stood at 71.80%.
• Backdoor malware is also common in Android, and it is used to deceive users.In August 2022, researchers found counterfeit phones with a backdoor to hack WhatsApp accounts. Budget Android device models that are counterfeit versions associated with popular smartphone brands are harboring multiple Trojans designed to target WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business messaging apps. The danger of the discovered backdoors and the modules they download is that they operate in such a way that they actually become part of the targeted apps.
• Because of this, data breaches and cyberattacks are likely to happen more often on mobile phones as both businesses and consumers move toward digitization.

Asia-Pacific Region is Expected to Hold Significant Share of the Market.

• The APAC region is home to nearly half of the world's population, and according to the GSMA, the number of unique mobile customers in fiscal 2021 was at 1.22 billion, with an 83% penetration rate, and is predicted to reach 1.26 billion by 2025.
• China has a large number of mobile users in the region and is susceptible to a variety of malware threats. For instance, approximately a third of Uyghur-language Android applications shared on social media platforms or downloaded from third-party app stores since July 2022 were affected by malware in November 2022. Researchers at the San Francisco-based cybersecurity company Lookout Inc. say that the apps are mostly affected by two new strains of malware that let hackers see and share private photos, messages, and contacts without being noticed.
• Customers in Mumbai are being alerted by Indian banks that their mobile banking credentials might be stolen by malware disguised as a Flash player. The alert follows Quick Heal Security Labs' announcement that it has discovered an Android banking Trojan that targets over 232 banking applications, including those provided by Indian lenders. The virus is known as Android.banker.A2f8a.

Mobile Anti-Malware Market Competitor Analysis

Due to the new solutions provided by key vendors, the mobile anti-malware market is fragmented and on the verge of consolidation. Avast Software SRO, AO Kaspersky Lab, BitDefender LLC, Lookout Inc., Malwarebytes Inc., and others are key players. Recent market developments include:

In July 2022, Apple strengthened its commitment to safeguarding consumers from highly targeted mercenary spyware. Apple is unveiling a game-changing security feature that provides specialized extra protection to consumers who may be vulnerable to extremely targeted cyberattacks from private organizations building state-sponsored mercenary spyware. Apple is also talking about how it is spending USD 10 million to fund research into these kinds of risks.

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