Cisco: Android the target of 99 percent of world’s mobile malware

“Google’s Android mobile operating system (OS) is the target of 99 percent of the world’s mobile malware, according to Cisco,” Alastair Stevenson reports for V3. “Cisco revealed the trend in its 2014 Annual Security Report, which also showed that the Andr/Qdplugin-A malware was the most common Android variant, being used in 43.8 percent of all known attacks.”

“Cisco reported that the Android malwares are mainly spread as Trojanised applications designed to look like real, legitimate apps on third-party marketplaces,” Stevenson reports. “Android’s [so-called] open nature lets developers alter the OS and create marketplaces and applications without Google’s knowledge or consent.”

“Cisco’s findings mark an increase in Android attack levels reported by most other vendors and agencies,” Stevenson reports. “The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) listed 79 percent of all mobile threats as being designed to target Android in August 2013.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Google’s Android. “Open” for malware.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “David G.” for the heads up.]

Related articles:
U.S. DHS, FBI warn of malware threats to Android mobile devices – August 27, 2013
Android app malware rates skyrocket 40 percent in last quarter – August 7, 2013
First malware found in wild that exploits Android app signing flaw – July 25, 2013
Mobile Threats Report: Android accounts for 92% of all mobile malware – June 26, 2013
Latest self-replicating Android Trojan looks and acts just like Windows malware – June 7, 2013
99.9% of new mobile malware targets Android phones – May 30, 2013
Mobile malware exploding, but only for Android – May 14, 2013
Mobile malware: Android is a bad apple – April 15, 2013
F-Secure: Android accounted for 96% of all mobile malware in Q4 2012 – March 7, 2013
New malware attacks Android phones, Windows PCs to eavesdrop, steal data; iPhone, Mac users unaffected – February 4, 2013
FBI issues warning over Android malware attacks – October 15, 2012
Researchers discover serious flaw in Android app security, say HTC and Samsung ignore issue – September 28, 2012
Apple’s iPhone has passed a key security threshold – August 13, 2012
Android permissions flaw allows eavesdropping, data theft, location tracking – December 2, 2011
Massive HTC Android security flaw leaves security expert speechless – October 2, 2011
Apple’s iOS unaffected by malware as Android exploits surge 76% – August 24, 2011
Android malware records phone calls; iPhone users unaffected – August 2, 2011
Symantec: Apple iOS offers ‘full protection,’ Google Android ‘little protection’ vs. malware attacks – June 29, 2011
Malware apps spoof Android Market to infect Android phones – June 21, 2011
Google forced to pull several malware-infested apps from Android market – June 8, 2011
Android malware sees explosive growth; even faster than with PCs – April 27, 2011
Virus-laden apps infest Google’s ‘open’ Android platform; iPhone unaffected – March 3, 2011
Security firm warns of new Android trojan that can steal personal information; iPhone unaffected – December 30, 2010
Trojan infects Android smartphones; iPhone unaffected – August 10, 2010
Millions of Android phone users slammed by malicious data theft app – July 29, 2010
Unlike proactive Apple, reactive Google doesn’t block malware from Android app store – June 4, 2010
Malware designed to steal bank information pops up in Google’s Android app store – January 11, 2010

Reader Feedback

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.