Trend Micro has noted a fourteen-fold increase (1410%) of malware targeting Android smartphone users in the last six months.
This is perceived as due to their increased potential for damage and propagation. Owning to their portability and advanced computing features, smartphones are becoming popular devices among consumers. However, these gadgets are susceptible to various security threats regardless of the operating system (Android, iOS, Symbian or Blackberry OS) they are running.
Today’s technology-driven market has given way to the proliferation of mobile phones with advanced features, in order to cater to consumers need to stay connected. Thus, it is not surprising that the worldwide mobile phone sales have increased.
While smartphones are becoming increasingly popular, users should be aware that their heavy use has made them likely targets of security threats,” said Myla Pilao, Direction of TrendLabs. “The threats include worms and spyware that track users Web activity and location, make charges via SMS messages, and more.”
In the past year, TrendLabs has seen cases of mobile malware infection and exploitation plague users straight from the shelf.
Applications are one of the major factors that make a smartphone appealing. However, not all apps users find on app stores are safe to use. Last December, Google removed 50 suspicious-looking apps from the Android Market after proving that these used various banks names without their permission. Besides, as apps become seemingly integral to mobile phones, users are jailbreaking their devices just to download alternative apps.
Given the many mobile phone risks, there are some best practices that can help prevent malware infection, such as downloading apps from trusted sites, avoiding unsecure browsing, utilizing built-in security features of phone, and installing security software offered by prestigious security provider.