Alcatel-Lucent’s Kindsight Security Labs has released a new report showing that security threats to mobile devices jumped during the first half of 2014.
The report found that mobile malware increased 17% during the first six months of 2014, at double the rate of 2013.
Kindsight Security Labs estimates that around 15 million mobile devices around the world are infected with malware. Android devices take the lead in the report and amount for 60% of total mobile network infections with 40% of mobile malware originating from Windows laptops.
Android smartphones are the easiest malware target, but Windows laptops are still the favourite of hard core professional cybercriminals,” said Kevin McNamee, security architect and director of Alcatel-Lucent’s Kindsight Security Labs.
Mobile infections frequently come as trojans mainly in apps which might look completely harmless but contain hidden malware that when downloaded and installed by Android owners from third party app stores, Google Play Store can result in a major breach of security and theft of personal information.
The quality and sophistication of most Android malware is still behind the more mature Windows PC varieties. Android malware makes no serious effort to conceal itself and relies on unsuspecting people to install an infected app.
Malware on Windows Phone, iPhone and BlackBerry devices account for less than 1% of infections.
Full report here.
