Guardsquare, a global leader in mobile application security solutions, has unveiled the findings of a recent Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) study, titled “Mobile Application Security Cannot Be an Afterthought,” exposing A notable disparity between organisations’ perceptions of app security and the actual risks they face.

Despite 93% of organisations believing their mobile apps are sufficiently protected against attacks, the study revealed that 62% experienced at least one security incident involving their mobile applications in the past year, with companies experiencing around nine incidents on average annually. Alarmingly, 31% of organisations are already dealing with legal consequences following breaches.

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The independent ESG survey gathered insights from over 300 decision-makers across application development, cybersecurity, and IT worldwide, underlining the critical need to close this perception gap. The financial toll is steep, with the average cost of mobile app security breaches reaching nearly $7 million in 2025.

“The convenience of mobile applications for tasks like shopping, bill payments, and accessing personal records places immense pressure on companies to ensure security,” explained Melinda Marks, Practice Director of Cybersecurity at ESG. “While aiming to rapidly deliver feature-rich apps, they must integrate security into development processes without slowing down innovation and ensure protection of live applications against attackers seeking to exploit vulnerabilities.”

Key Findings Include:

Impact Beyond Financial Losses:
Mobile app security breaches have far-reaching consequences, including application downtime (reported by over 50% of respondents), sensitive data leaks (48%), loss of consumer trust (41%), and negative user experiences (38%).

Faster Release Cycles Increase Risk:
The number of unique mobile apps disclose annually has risen from 10 in 2023 to 13 in 2025. However, 74% of organisations feel pressured to accelerate development cycles, and 71% admit this speed has compromised robust security practices.

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Major Gaps in Security Strategies:
Nearly 40% rely solely on in-house security or built-in OS protections. Only 31% implement code obfuscation, leaving many apps reveal to static analysis. Moreover, 60% have not deployed Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP).

The research emphasises the importance of a multi-layered security strategy, combining robust code hardening and obfuscation, proactive RASP, rigorous mobile application security testing, and continuous threat monitoring. Although 63% conduct security testing and almost 60% engage in threat monitoring, significant weaknesses persist across other critical areas.

“Organisations growingly understand the need for holistic mobile app security,” said Roel Caers, CEO of Guardsquare. “Encouragingly, 46% are prioritising security solutions that integrate seamlessly into existing developer workflows, enabling strong security without hindering performance or development speed.”

Emerging Priorities Highlighted by the Study:

Rising Legal Consequences:
31% of organisations are already facing legal action due to mobile app breaches.

Increased Security Budgets:
84% plan to raise their investment in mobile app security initiatives.

Security Integrated into Development:
46% are working to embed security directly into their teams’ tools and workflows.

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Source: businesswire