Increase in mobile malware by 163% in 2012 due to Android infections doubling
In a startling revelation, NQ Mobile, a leading mobile security company, reported that Android was the most targeted mobile platform for malware in 2012, with a staggering 95% of all infections discovered on the platform.
According to NQ's findings, a quarter of infected mobile devices were in China, followed by India, Russia, the US, and Saudi Arabia. The data was obtained by scanning the mobile landscape for new threats and hacking methods.
The report, released on Monday, highlighted three primary methods for delivering malware in 2012: app repackaging, malicious URLs, and Smishing.
App repackaging involved malware being distributed via unofficial app stores outside of official platforms like Google Play. Malicious apps disguised as legitimate ones were another common method, with attackers creating apps that appeared genuine to users but contained harmful code.
Malware was also spread through text messages with links or attachments that, once clicked, installed malicious software, a practice known as Smishing. Additionally, simply visiting compromised or malicious websites could trigger automatic malware downloads on vulnerable mobile devices.
Omar Khan, co-CEO at NQ Mobile, stated that the "discover-first-and-inoculate-second" strategy in the security industry is no longer enough. He suggested the need for smarter systems that can discover threats before they infect consumers and more education to help consumers spot and avoid mobile scams.
The report also noted increased collaborations between mobile hackers and cyber criminals in 2012. NQ's Security Labs discovered these findings using data from its global malware database of 283 million mobile users.
The fragmented nature of Google's mobile platform makes it a continued malware risk. The number of malware attacks on Android more than doubled from 2011 to 2012. Moreover, more than 39% of Android users running Gingerbread are missing out on major security updates distributed by the more recent Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean versions.
NQ stated that 28% of mobile malware from last year was designed to collect and profit from a user's personal data. Furthermore, 7% of mobile malware aimed to stop the device from functioning.
These collaborations resulted in "disastrous effects" according to NQ, reflecting early mobile malware trends focused on social engineering and exploiting lax app distribution channels. The report underscores the importance of mobile security in the modern digital age.
- The fragmented nature of Android's technology and the increased collaborations between mobile hackers and cyber criminals in 2012, as detailed in NQ's report, emphasize the significance of data-and-cloud-computing in combating malware in the modern digital age.
- In light of the discovery that 28% of mobile malware from 2012 was designed to collect and profit from a user's personal data, it is crucial for cybersecurity measures in data-and-cloud-computing to become more sophisticated and proactive, as suggested by Omar Khan, co-CEO at NQ Mobile.
