Cyber Attacks Through Apps Increased by 70% in 2019, Says PerimeterX CEO

This past year has witnessed a 70% increase in cyber attacks through mobile applications, according to Omri Iluz, the co-founder and CEO of information security startup PerimeterX Inc. Iluz spoke Monday at Calcalist’s Cyber 2020 conference, held at shared office venture Labs at Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Sarona tower.

In 2019 there were 65% more cyber attacks than in 2018, Iluz said.

Many people reuse passwords for different types of accounts and websites, making it easy for hackers to steal their identity, he said.

Given the increased dependency of users on apps, there are not enough resources or infrastructure that offers app protection, he said.

Founded in 2014, San Mateo, California-headquartered PerimeterX develops a system that identifies and blocks malicious bots to prevent the spread of fake news as well as phishing and fraud attempts. The company currently employs a team of 160 people in Tel Aviv, London, and the U.S. The company has raised $92 million to date from investors including Deutsche Telekom and Salesforce.