Analysis Reveals Increasing Mobile App Security Risks and Trust Issues

A new analysis released by Guardsquare highlights growing concerns about the safety of mobile applications. The report, based on independent research conducted by TrendCandy, highlights a widening “client-side trust gap” that exposes companies to security breaches, customer loss, and backend API abuse. The announcement was issued from Boston and Leuven on February 17, 2026.

72% of Organizations Experienced Mobile Security Incidents

The global survey questioned 1,360 mobile developers and security leaders. Results show that 72% of organizations faced at least one mobile app security incident in the past year. Another 65% said these issues directly caused customer churn or app uninstallations. Despite this, many teams still rely on outdated assumptions that operating system security alone is enough to protect apps in real-world environments.

According to Erica Sheehan, attackers regularly bypass these traditional protections, proving that the trust gap is already causing real business damage.

Speed and AI Adoption Are Increasing Security Challenges

The report highlights two major factors making mobile apps more vulnerable:

• 79% of respondents say tight release deadlines prevent stronger security measures.
• 96% of developers now use AI tools to build apps or SDKs.
• 81% believe AI-generated code has introduced new vulnerabilities.
• Over half admit they are unsure how to secure AI-written applications properly.

This combination of rapid development and automation is accelerating innovation, but it is also increasing risk exposure.

Shift Toward Stronger Mobile Security Strategies

Organizations are starting to rethink how they approach mobile protection:

• 91% prefer security that covers the full software development lifecycle.
• 96% using multi-layered defenses report fewer incidents.

These findings suggest companies are moving away from single-layer protection toward integrated, end-to-end security systems.

Recommended Approach to Close the Trust Gap

The analysis concludes that reducing mobile threats requires a complete security framework. This includes automated testing, layered code protection, runtime defenses, API security, and continuous monitoring. The key is implementing these safeguards without slowing development speed or harming app performance.

About the Research

The study titled The Rise of Client-Side Risk and the Trust Gap was conducted globally with a ±2% margin of error at a 95% confidence level. It was commissioned by Guardsquare to understand real-world mobile security challenges better.

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