Android leads once again…. when it comes to mobile malware

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In their quarterly Mobile Threat report F-Secure reports that Android has continued its commanding lead when it comes to exposing its using to mobile malware.

The operating system has seen a strong increase in the 3rd quarter of 2013, adding 251 new families or variants of malware, and is responsible for more than 97% of new threats, with the venerable Symbian being responsible for the balance.

The most worrying element of the Android malware threat is its increasing professionalism. An increasing number are profit-motivated, sending premium-rate text messages, and one in five mobile threats are now bots, which is a sign that complexity of Android malware is increasing, the report said.

New tools like Androrat APK binder now also make it increasingly easy to subvert legitimate applications by inserting malicious code.

Windows phone scored 0 for 0, with no new threats and none in the past either – the only platform with a completely clean record. It seems in the wild west of mobile malware, there remains at least one safe haven.

Via Computerweekly.com

More about the topics: android, malware, security, windows phone

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