99.9% Of New Mobile Malware Is For Android

It is funny yet worrying that if you talk to your “average Joe” about malware/viruses on Android, most of them believe that Android devices can’t get malware/viruses. This is one of those common misconceptions on the same level as the “Macs don’t get viruses” myth. Yet it is totally incorrect and if anything the situation is the total opposite.

A new report published by Kaspersy Labs suggested that “99.9%” of all new mobile malware is for the Android OS.  The vast majority of these malware(s) are Trojan Viruses which can be used to target Android devices in a number of ways. The most common of which is to use the “SMS Trojan” which hacks your phone and forces it to send texts to premium rate numbers. This makes up 63% of total infections, suggesting that most hackers are just after your money.

Kaspersky notes that in 25% of the duration of 2013 they saw the same amount of malware as in 50% of the duration of 2012, suggesting that we are seeing an exponential growth in malware production for Android.

Other interesting facts about mobile malware suggest that 91% is delivered through clicking malicious links (a simple link scanning anti-virus would solve this). In addition the top three host countries for Android malware are the USA (25%), Russia (19%) and the Netherlands (14%).

With all that said, have you ever had malware on your Android device? Do you run internet security on your Android device?

Source, Via