Dhaka, Nov. 29 -- Mobile operators worldwide are spending unprecedented amounts on cybersecurity, yet remain exposed to accelerating digital threats due to fragmented and overly prescriptive regulation, according to a new GSMA study that quantifies the growing financial and operational burden on the industry.

The report released recently, 'The Impact of Cybersecurity Regulation on Mobile Operators', finds that operators currently spend between US$15 billion and US$19 billion annually on core cybersecurity measures, a figure projected to rise to more than US$40 billion by 2030 as networks expand and attacks become more sophisticated.

Cyberattacks have risen by roughly 75 per cent over the past five years, the report notes, with mobile ne...