Mobile Security Series: Securing the Human Layer Against Emerging Cyber Threats

Phishing today isn’t just email. Adversaries are now exploiting SMS, Signal, LinkedIn, QR codes, and more to directly target your people—on the devices they rely on most. These mobile-specific tactics—like smishing and quishing—are designed to exploit human trust, not technical flaws. And they’re working.

Protecting users from falling for such schemes is difficult. Threat researchers have seen malicious smishing campaigns deploy zero-click malware that can hijack verification codes and one time passwords (OTPs), replicating screen interfaces, and stealing application credentials. One report identified why mobile users are more at risk, including:

• Reduced screen size makes suspicious URLs harder to identify;
• Touch screens make it harder for a user to inspect URLs;
• Mobile channels like SMS and QR codes are commonly used as thus often trusted

Join us as thought leaders from government and industry discuss the ways that security professionals can empower users to recognize and protect themselves from social engineering tactics on mobile, and how agencies can close the visibility and control gaps left open by traditional EDR tools.

Learning Objectives:

• Spot mobile-first phishing techniques: Learn how attackers adapt social engineering for mobile channels like SMS and QR codes
• Deploy human-centric defenses: Understand how phishing-resistant MFA, clear BYOD policies, and mobile-aware password strategies reduce risk
• Improve user awareness at the edge: Explore training approaches designed to help mobile users detect and respond to smishing threats in real time