Security technology company McAfee has come out with a report which says the malware threat for smartphones is increasing alarmingly, and Android platform is more at risk compared to other platforms.
“This year we’ve seen record-breaking numbers of malware, especially on mobile devices, where the uptick is in direct correlation to popularity,” said Vincent Weafer, senior vice president of McAfee Labs.
“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.”
Malware aimed at Android smartphones has gone up by 76 per cent, said McAfee which termed it as the “most attacked mobile operating system”, whereas earlier the same crown belonged to Symbian operating system.
The McAfee report suggests the total number of Android malware samples will reach 75 million by 2011 end. The company says malware could come in any form including fake updates to a genuine app, calendar apps or even comedy apps.
The report also mentioned a rise in the for-profit mobile malware, such as Trojans that send simple SMSes or complicated Trojans which are used to compromise the phones.