McAfee: Malware surging on mobile platforms, especially Android
Summary: Malware is becoming a very dangerous problem for mobile operating systems, and Android is becoming the top target.
Mobile platforms are anything but safe from malware, based on the second quarter Threats Report from McAfee.
Android, in particular, was found to be the most vulnerable mobile operating system on the market, as malware targeted towards Google's OS has skyrocketed 76 percent since the previous quarter. That's a very sobering statistic for both Android developers and device owners.
McAfee went so far as to call Android the "most attacked mobile operating system," surpassing Symbian OS as the most popular target. Still, Symbian OS and Java ME remain the most targeted to date.
Because of the rapid escalation, McAfee has dubbed this situation as a "Malware Zoo," as McAfee researchers predict that the the grand total of total malware samples will reach at least 75 million by the end of 2011. The total currently stands at approximately 65 million.
Vincent Weafer, senior vice president of McAfee Labs, explained in a release:
This year we’ve seen record breaking numbers of malware, especially on mobile devices, where the uptick is in direct correlation to popularity. Overall attacks are becoming more stealth and more sophisticated, suggesting that we could see attacks that remain unnoticed for longer periods of time. High-profile hacktivist groups have also changed the landscape by drawing a line between attacks for personal gain and attacks meant to send a message.
McAfee warned that malware, particularly for Android, could appear in "everything from calendar apps, to comedy apps to SMS messages to a fake Angry Birds updates."
Other highlights from the study:
- Apple has become more of a target for malware authors as more Mac OS X computers are being affected by fake anti-virus software
- Stealth malware has increased more rapidly in the last six months than in any previous period with an increase of nearly 38 percent than the same time last year
- Hacktivists, primarily Anonymous and LulzSec, were among some of the most prominent cyber news generators for Q2
- At least 20 global attacks were reported in Q2 alone, and with the majority allegedly stemming from LulzSec
On the bright side, spam is being issued at historically low levels.
Related
- Who makes the best Windows security software? Surprise ...
- Shady RAT not so sophisticated: Symantec
- China state media disputes recent hacking claims as 'irresponsible'
- Has the United States already suffered its cyberwar Pearl Harbor?
- Why McAfee is still at the top of my Not Recommended list
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Talkback
RE: McAfee: Malware surging on mobile platforms, especially Android
well no
no one that knows ever made these claims. certainly not steve and co. or any linux guru. now, if you're talking about people that post silly things in web forums, sure, the claim has been made. like other silly claims. see above for an example.
RE: McAfee: Malware surging on mobile platforms, especially Android
A very vocal Linux guru that frequents these talk backs is always going off about how secure and invulnerable Linux is.
RE: McAfee: Malware surging on mobile platforms, especially Android
Yeah, actually Steve & Co [i]did[/i] say that, several times on their commercials. Mac vs PC. google it
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Never trust advertising...
And its true. A Mac cannot get one of the viruses or other malware written for Windows. What they CAN get it malware written for a Mac. Microsoft could just as easily put out an add saying : "Your Windows based PC is invulnerable to the Mac Defender malware!" and it would be true and yet irrelevant because its not invulnerable to the nearly identical scamware written for windows.
It all comes down to this: Do not trust advertising. Even for products you like
RE: McAfee: Malware surging on mobile platforms, especially Android
RE: McAfee: Malware surging on mobile platforms, especially Android
Windows doesn't have "thousands of holes".
RE: McAfee: Malware surging on mobile platforms, especially Android
RE: McAfee: Malware surging on mobile platforms, especially Android
not thousands of holes? perhaps. this is the os that could get a virus through the clip art of a word document.
shut face? your's is a dizzying intellect. you state jobs has said something with no proof and that ZING just one snappy snappy retort! well done laddie. really. a dizzying intellect.
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Ya, but that hardly tells the whole story.
In reality world, meaning not the world of carefully parsed statements so many Apple and Linux enthusiasts live in, far far too many Mac users and Linux users simply poo-poo away the notion that the reason Windows has been breached so many times is that its the big target. They belittle that concept as being at best a secondary reason far and away removed from what they see is the real reason. That is to say that Linux and OSX don't get attacked because its practically impossible to do so. They of course will point out that they have said "practically" impossible. Even if what they hope the world sees is "completely" impossible.
And here we have what is arguably the most common smartphone OS, being Android having the most at risk security. Right now you can absolutely count on the aficionado's of Android and perhaps even iOS thinking up marginally rational explanations for why Androids popularity has no connection to its risk factor, and yet still not have to admit to any inherent security flaws. A difficult task at best.
And as so far about silly claims, you can say what ever you want but as many silly claims as Windows users may have ever made, OSX and Linux users have made exponentially more silly claims given their lack of market share.
RE: McAfee: Malware surging on mobile platforms, especially Android
If you disable enough Linux security features you wind up with something as insecure as Windows, I suspect this is the case with Android.
Linux + sudo chmod -R ugo+rwx /* = Windows
RE: McAfee: Malware surging on mobile platforms, especially Android
RE: McAfee: Malware surging on mobile platforms, especially Android
Funny.. The same can be said about Windows. If you turn off things like UAC, Firewall, IE Protected Mode, run Windows Unpatched and disregard security/safety while browsing your Windows could be compromised.
Change a few things around specific to that OS and that is true of any Operating System or software.
RE: McAfee: Malware surging on mobile platforms, especially Android
You forgot that the Windows fan boys can't read Unix/Linux code.
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RE: McAfee: Malware surging on mobile platforms, especially Android
Read the article again. These aren't viral infections, they are stealth attacks made possible by fooling the user into downloading them. Not an OS issue really. If you're going download unverified apps, or click on any link sent to you, you're going to have problems regardless of OS or device.
RE: McAfee: Malware surging on mobile platforms, especially Android
HAHAHAAHA a freetard back peddling got to love it. You guys for years have been blaming MS no matter if it was user caused or not. Now that its happening to a linux OS oh no its the user its the user HAHAHAHAHHAHHA