Cisco’s annual security report has said that 99% of the total mobile malware targets Android devices. The report highlights the current security concerns and trends in vulnerabilities so that users can build more effective countermeasures. The report also said that mobile malware constituted of 1.2% of all web malware encounters during 2013.
Another highlight from the report is that 71% of web-delivered malware was meant for Android only. The malware rate for iPhone users was only 14% while Java was also victim of 91% of all web invasions.
So far, there hasn’t been a major global event that has successfully targeted or damaged older legacy Android handsets. But if there is – and reports like the one from Cisco show that surely it’s only a matter of time – it could well damage Android’s reputation and lead to churn to other platforms, or more interest in the DIY installation of more secure forks of Android.
Telcos shouldn’t think that this isn’t their problem – it most definitely is.
“Service providers and their mobile networks are actually part of the solution as network-based malware detection is the best defence against infection,” said Kevin McNamee, Director at Kindsight Security Labs. “Operators should be using their networks to provide value-added malware security services to subscribers. By leveraging the network to detect infections and pin-point which devices are at risk, they can immediately notify subscribers who’ve become victims and provide instructions on how to eliminate the malware threat.”
Read the analysis.
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