Better Security to Drive Increase in Mobile Holiday Shopping

by Wilson Ye

Shopping on mobile devices is expected to be strong during the 2017 Holiday Season, according to a new report from  Trustlook. Faster network speeds, slick shopping apps, and, perhaps  most significantly, the feeling of security among device owners are  helping to drive this expected uptick in mobile shopping.

Continued updates to iOS and Android operating systems, as well as  the proliferation of free mobile security apps, have contributed to a  more secure mobile environment. Android, for instance, which represents  the majority of mobile malware, is seeing fewer malware incidents, while  more hackers than ever are reporting Android bugs to Google in exchange  for so-called “bug bounties.”

“What jumped out the most in our study was the feeling of security  between shoppers and non-shoppers,” said Allan Zhang, co-founder and CEO  of Trustlook, a cybersecurity company that offers a chip-level security  solution for mobile devices. “Those who feel secure on their device  will shop and spend much more than those who don’t. It’s that simple.”

For the first time ever, mobile visits to retailers’ websites are  expected to surpass desktop visits during the months of November and  December. Still, experts warn that mobile shoppers need to be cautious,  as the risk isn’t going away. “The bad guys go to where the activity is,  and the activity is on mobile,” said Zhang.

Some key findings from Trustlook’s survey include:
1. 66% of users surveyed will shop on a mobile device this Holiday Season.
2. 45% of users surveyed will spend more than $250 on purchases made through a mobile device.
3. Over 80% of expected mobile shoppers either “Strongly Agreed” or  “Agreed” with feeling secure, whereas for non-shoppers, the percentage  was just over 50%.
4. The Home Electronics and Clothing categories are expected to see the bulk of purchases.

To see an infographic of Trustlook’s survey findings, go here. For more information on Trustlook and their AI-powered SECUREai cybersecurity platform, please visit http://www.trustlook.com.