“Google’s Android mobile-phone platform faces soaring software attacks and has little control over the applications, according to security firm Kaspersky Lab,” Jonathan Browning reports for Bloomberg News.
“Applications loaded with malicious software are infiltrating the Google operating system at a faster rate than hackers did with personal computers at the same stage in development, said Nikolay Grebennikov, chief technology officer for Kaspersky,” Browning reports. “The company identified 70 different types of malware in March, up from two categories in September.”
“‘The growth rate in malware within Android is huge; in the future there will definitely be more,’ Grebennikov said. Kaspersky will offer security on Android in the third quarter of this year,” Browning reports.
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Sounds like fun times for those who would settle for pale imitations of Apple innovatons.
Related article:
Apple’s iOS platform trounces Android by 59% in U.S. – April 19, 2011
Nobody’s going to write malware for a niche platform like iOS.
If you resemble, in any way, the caricature to the left of your name, your comment is about what one would expect.
John, there’s this thing called sarcasm you might want to learn about.
But then, if you resemble, in any way, the sort of humor-impaired people who normally miss sarcastic humor, then your comment is about what one would expect. 😉
My motto for years has been: satire is wasted on the simple minded.
John, why do you feel the need to make a personal attack on someone? Gilles has done nothing wrong and the avatar is simply a graphic. Please stay on topic and leave the catty attacks elsewhere. Please.
It’s like the Zune Tang thing. He caught people for years (think we all were at first) always read and think a little before deciding if someone is serious. (Sometimes it difficult, there are real idiots out there who say some really crazy stuff and actually believe it’s true like Gates and Ballmer.)
That’s right, now that Android has eclipsed iOS marketshare, its come under attack. iOS’s puny marketshare proves the rule; security through obscurity.
Android has become so wildly popular in recent weeks it’s now a target-rich envionment for both those hackers.
But wait, Macs don’t get viri because there’s fewer of them.
Now ‘Droids – fewer in number than iOS devices – get more viri?
Hmmm, someone call out these effin’ tools.
and people wonder why Apple tries to control what goes on their app store….
Buying a droid… like going on a sex vacation without condoms.
LMFAO, that was funny.
No, it’s far worse than that…
Like going to a whorehouse and finding out the girl behind the curtain is your grandma?
That happened to me once, I got 25% family discount.
Like the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie where a guy called his twin brother a “motherf***er”.
At least that would be fun for a short while.
JPC, I was gonna give chunky-a the award for funniest post of the day, but then you had to write that. That is so rancid I ’bout died laughing.
Maybe the “analyst” had it right after all…
Android versus iPhone -IS- a repeat of Windows versus Mac. 😉
LIKE
“Any time a technology becomes adopted and popular, that technology will be targeted by the bad guys,” said Jay Abbott, director of threat and vulnerability at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
…and yet, not once does the article mention the overwhelming popularity of iOS across iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Sounds like someone’s trying to peddle the tired old “security through obscurity” line.
Google has already removed some 58 malware applications in the past couple of months, including remotely killing the software on handsets in the wild.
I’m thinking its in these guy’s business interest to scream “malware” from the rooftops, not that it dilutes the message that an antivirus company is reporting it.
However their assertion that the growth is more explosive than on PCs is out in left field. Even the claim that its far more progressed than when PCs were at the same development point is ridiculous.
For starters Android has a security model and sand boxed application runtime that PCs did not have until the last couple of years!
It would be just as accurate to say that Android has security far more advanced than the PC had at this stage of its evolution! lol.
Really the statement holds no water beyond a marketing ploy to scare up business.
Nice take Dude, couldn’t agree more. The malware repelent firms have always hated Apple for lack of product to sell.
And you can bet that they finance their own malware devs “for research” – the same way that evil rogue doctor’s polio research in the Congo brought on AIDS.
When you have a multitude of hardware vendors each out to eat the other’s lunch running the same underlying operating system, you will get a wide variety of manufacturers each with his own sense of quality control. It’s inevitable that malware and viruses run rampant on the Android platform because you don’t get a single overarching entity to ensure that the software you run on the phone passes some sort of quality control.
This is not the malware you are looking for.
No novelty here.
It’s not cheap to fight the arms race with hackers. How much is Google prepared to spend defending a product they give away for free?
Defending Android from malware is the least of their problems. in fact it is the user´s problem. Its all in the terms of service.
Defending Android from legal battles with the likes of Microsoft, Oracle, Nokia and many others is a bigger problem. Who pays for these lawyers? These bast… er… businessmen get payed win or lose.
One day Google investors will come to senses and request management to start charging for Android services.
Take that again Apple, can your iOS run the latest and greatest malware and virus? I think not!!!!!
Android Marketplace has more than thousand malwares, how many does you “app store” have?
Android does looks more and more like a PC every day.
I’m thinking anti-virus software will become the number downloaded app in the android store and remain there.
Android will need three or more anti-virus software packages to make it safe to run. And battery life will descend to only 1 hour.
Ugh, that’s number one downloaded…
Number one, as in how many brain cells I have.
G…
I thought you had two. 😉
After further review, you actually have 4 (as in G4).
Keep on trucking.
Read up on the recent kidnapping of Kaspersky’s son Ivan. Very interesting reading regarding the outcome.
I recently switched to an Android phone because I’ve had an iPhone since 2007 and there quite good. I like my EVO better than any of my iPhones I’ve owned. Sorry MDN but yes there are other smartphones that are better than the iPhone. Heck even Windows Phone 7 is a solid OS surprise considering Microsoft sucks
Just because YOU like an Android phone better than an iPhone isn’t the definitive opinion on the subject or the final supreme declaration of Android superiority. I’ve seen Android phones and I think they’re crap compared to an iPhone 4 in total user experience, but then that’s MY opinion. Different strokes for different folks.
So Mf79 likes his new Android better his 1st-Generation (2007) iPhone?
News flash – iPhones have gotten better since their initial release.
How are you handling the terrible battery life on that EVO?
Battery life on android phones are terrible.
iphone is more dependable.
Blame the OS. Blame Flash.
with the 3200mah battery it last for 2 days, its bulky but I don’t mind. My iphone 4 last 1day but its nit bulky… I would add bulk to add another day for sure 🙂 but I don’t mind a little bulk
DARN! No malware for iOS!
So much for ‘Security Through Obscurity’, ever a source of laughter. :LOL:
Fact: Android and Windows are easy hacking targets. Mac OS X / iOS is NOT.
For some reason, this feels rather Windows malware-y, too:
And the company behind AirPush doesn’t seem terribly ethical:
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2493047