Threats Looming Over Android
- Juniper Networks releases the Mobile Threats Report 2010/2011, according to which the Android Market counts an increasing number of malicious applications: this study mentions a 400% augmentation over the last 12 months.
Source: Juniper Networks, Mobile Threats Report 2010/2011
- In March, about 50 compromised applications likely to allow for personal data thefts were spreading on these mobile terminals. Users obviously need to pay more attention to what they download; this does not sound easy as they almost never read the description of the application they install and sometimes even load items from unknown sources.
- Jeff Wilson, security analyst for Infonetics Research explains that, during the past 18 months, his teams noted an uninterrupted succession of threats requiring attention and insists on the peculiar interest of fraudsters in mobile devices.
- In December 2010, SANS Institute issued a report explaining that 85% of smartphone users do not have any antivirus solution. In the remaining 15%, one respondent out of five explains he has already been infected by a malicious application. According to SANS these figures are higher than the overall infection rate for PCs in North America (comprised between 7 and 10%).
- Juniper Networks also notes that SMSs contribute to further increase the level of threat and 17% of all reported infections were resulted from SMS Trojan horses.
Source: Juniper Networks, Mobile Threats Report 2010/2011
- Several threats are likely to impact mobile devices and Juniper recommends that:
- o anti-malware and antispam solutions be installed,
- o personal firewall be used,
- o suitable robust password be selected.
- These recommendations apply to both individual users and companies.