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Report finds an average of 9300 malicious websites per day in fourth quarter 2011

VFP Publisher — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:29:47 +0000

The number of new malware samples hit 75 million worldwide last year even as PC malware counts declined, with mobile malware rapidly emerging, according to new data from McAfee

Adam Wosotowsky, McAfee, senior anti-spam research analyst and an author of McAfee’s new Fourth Quarter 2011 Threat Report, says there was a significant uptick in mobile malware — mostly for Android platforms — between the third and fourth quarters of last year. “We saw the rate of increase in mobile malware really take off compared with [the period] before,” Wosotowsky says.

Mobile malware hit more than 400 unique samples in Q4, up from over 100 in the third quarter, and less than 50 samples in the first quarter of last year. McAfee also found that PC malware counts declined during Q4, and were lower than in Q4 of 2010. Even so, the total number of unique malware samples is more than 75 million as of Q4, the report says.

“I expected mobile malware to increase, but I didn’t expect to see mobile malware shoot up like it did,” Wosotowsky says. “I was really expecting to see that when they start porting SpyEye and Zeus to” mobile platforms at some point, he says.

Wosotowsky says McAfee also saw a shift in how the bad guys are deploying malware. “They are moving to a persistent model, where they are trying to get into corporations and steal intellectual property, more money, and to maintain the infection for a long period of time,’ he says. “At the same time, it’s important to note that’s because so malware and Trojans under SpyEye now have that capability … and botmasters can give control of an infected machine to another botmaster” who wants access to a particular organization, he says.

Rootkits dipped slightly in Q4, while Autorun and password-stealing Trojans decreased slightly.

There

Article source: http://www.darkreading.com/mobile-security/167901113/security/news/232601198/mobile-malware-on-the-move-mcafee-report-says.html

5 Free Android Security Apps: Keep Your Smartphone Safe

VFP Publisher — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:29:46 +0000

There’s been much controversy over mobile OS security, especially where Android is concerned. With 47% of the smartphone market in Q4 of 2011, according to ABI Research, it’s no wonder that Android is getting attention.

Its openness fuels adoption by smartphone manufacturers and wireless carriers, aids in mobile innovation, and helps bring more free apps. But some, like those who develop security apps, think its openness also makes it an easier target for malware writers and cybercriminals.

Android Malware Growth

Depending on where you go, you’ll find varying stats on the amount of Android malware we’ve seen thus far. This is complicated by the fact that most of the information available about malware comes from security vendors, who obviously have a pony in the anti-malware race.

One thing they all agree on is that the amount of malware targeting Android has been growing. For instance, a report from Trend Micro (PDF) includes a chart that shows a large spike in the amount of total Android malware in 2011. Meanwhile, according to NQ Mobile , cases of malware increased from 4,781 cases in 2009 to 10,369 cases in 2010 and 22,600 cases in 2011. And according to Lookout, the likelihood of Americans encountering Android malware went from 1% in the beginning of 2011 to 4% by year’s end.

But the vendors don’t always agree. For example, at the end of January, Symantec announced that 13 apps in the Android Market contained malware.

Article source: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/250398/5_free_android_security_apps_keep_your_smartphone_safe.html

NQ Mobile Identifies Top Three Malware Threats for 2012 – Virtual

VFP Publisher — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:29:43 +0000

SAN JOSE, Calif. and BEIJING, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — A new report from NQ Mobile Inc., (NYSE: NQ), a leading global provider of consumer-centric mobile Internet services focusing on security and productivity, indicates that from 2010 to 2011, Android officially overtook Symbian as the most targeted mobile platform in the world by cyber criminals.

NQ Mobile’s Mobile Security Report also shows that in 2011, newer and more advanced forms of malware have successfully infected an estimated 10.8 million Android devices worldwide. This is expected to increase throughout 2012.

“Smartphones and tablets are finally delivering consumers with these converged and connected experiences we’ve been promised for so long,” says Omar Khan, Co-CEO NQ Mobile. “But this is a double edged sword: as smart device usage becomes more sophisticated, so too are cyber criminals’ methods of attacking consumers’ personal information.”

Key Findings for 2011

Malware threats to Android devices increased 1880 percent from January to December 2011
More than 10.8 million Android devices worldwide were infected by malware
The top countries with infected Android devices were China, India, the United States of America, Russia and the United Kingdom

Trends in Malware Design

In 2011, malware created significant technical challenges for the industry. Specifically, mobile malware authors were not only actively applying advanced malware infection techniques from the traditional (and relatively mature) PC arena, but also developing new exploits or attacks unique the mobile platforms.

The top three techniques used by malware authors to gain access to mobile device were:

Piggybacking on Legitimate Apps: Malware developers download popular applications, insert malicious code and then place the application back onto a marketplace. When users download and install this application it immediately launches its payload into the users smart device.
Upgrade Apps to
Article source: http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2012/02/22/nq-mobile-identifies-top-three-malware-threats-2012

MGI Research Publishes the Buyer’s Guide for Mobile Enterprise Application Platforms

VFP Publisher — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:29:41 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

MGI Research published today the Buyer’s Guide for Mobile Enterprise
Applications Platforms (MEAP). This report provides analysis and
recommendations on how and when the use of Mobile Enterprise Application
Platforms (MEAPs) – software development tools that create mobile
applications for many devices from a single code base — can impact
mobile enterprise initiatives in terms of impact on brand value, on
revenue opportunities and on time-to-market. The research highlights how
leading companies are shifting their mobile apps development strategies
from a one-off disposable project approach to a repeatable, high
quality, industrial-grade best practice.

Igor Stenmark, MGI Research Managing Director, commented, “Mobility is
moving to the mainstream of business and computing. Hundreds of
thousands of new business and consumer mobile apps will be developed
over the next several years while many legacy business applications will
be provided with a mobile interface. Given the integration and security
requirements for mobile enterprise apps, this is not a simple task. The
scope and scale of this effort call for robust automation and Mobile
Enterprise Application Platforms (MEAPs) will play an important role in

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/mgi-research-publishes-buyer-guide-192000688.html

NQ Mobile Identifies Top Three Malware Threats for 2012 – Virtual

VFP Publisher — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:29:39 +0000

Key Findings for 2011

Malware threats to Android devices increased 1880 percent from January to December 2011
More than 10.8 million Android devices worldwide were infected by malware
The top countries with infected Android devices were China, India, the United States of America, Russia and the United Kingdom

Trends in Malware Design

The top three techniques used by malware authors to gain access to mobile device were:

Piggybacking on Legitimate Apps: Malware developers download popular applications, insert malicious code and then place the application back onto a marketplace. When users download and install this application it immediately launches its payload into the users smart device.
Upgrade Apps to
Article source: http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2012/02/22/nq-mobile-identifies-top-three-malware-threats-2012

Malware Soars, Especially on Android

VFP Publisher — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:29:38 +0000

Top Five Android Malware Families

Report identifies five Android malware families, as well as a new Android root-level vulnerability.

Carl Weinschenk spoke to Dan Hoffman, the chief mobile security evangelist for Juniper Networks. Last week, the Juniper Networks Mobile Threat Center updated its annual findings.

The frequency of mobile malware is accelerating, according to Juniper Networks. Dan Hoffman, the company’s chief mobile security evangelist, told IT Business Edge blogger Carl Weinschenk that Android is being particularly hard hit. Two reasons, Hoffman said, are Android’s growing popularity and the openness of the platform. There are several approaches that the bad guys are taking. Hoffman said that the thread through them is that the goal is to monetize the exploit.

Weinschenk: What did the report look at?

Hoffman: The report, from our threat center security research team, is an annual report. We take a list of security threats to mobile devices, such as malware and employ a holistic approach to looking at security. The vast majority of our research is culled from our global user base. It consists of service providers, large enterprise systems, integrators and consumers. We use anonymized data for research in the report. We have a pretty unique perspective on the state of mobile security at this time.

When we look at malware — and in particular, Android — it’s an exercise in analyzing malicious applications. We found overall across all platforms that there is a 155 percent increase across all platforms. The increase is particularly sharp and dramatic in the case of Android.

Weinschenk: What is happening in the malware space?

Hoffman: When you download an application — whether it is a game or anything

Article source: http://www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/community/features/interviews/blog/malware-soars-especially-on-android/?cs=49809

NQ Mobile Identifies Top Three Malware Threats for 2012 – SYS

VFP Publisher — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:29:36 +0000

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120125/CN41481LOGO-b )

Key Findings for 2011

Malware threats to Android devices increased 1880 percent from January to December 2011
More than 10.8 million Android devices worldwide were infected by malware
The top countries with infected Android devices were China, India,
Article source: http://www.sys-con.com/node/2173698

NQ Mobile Identifies Top Three Malware Threats for 2012 – SYS

VFP Publisher — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:29:30 +0000

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120125/CN41481LOGO-b )

Key Findings for 2011

Malware threats to Android devices increased 1880 percent from January to December 2011
More than 10.8 million Android devices worldwide were infected by malware
The top countries with infected Android devices were China, India,
Article source: http://www.sys-con.com/node/2173698

5 free Android security apps for your smartphone

VFP Publisher — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:28:52 +0000

These free Android security apps from Symantec, AVG, Avast, and more will not only keep malware away but help find your smartphone when it’s missing

There’s been much controversy over mobile OS security, especially where Android is concerned. With 47 percent of the smartphone market in Q4 of 2011, according to ABI Research, it’s no wonder that Android is getting attention.

[ Subscribe to InfoWorld's Consumerization of IT newsletter today, then join our #CoIT discussion group at LinkedIn. | Learn about consumerization of IT in person March 4-6, 2012, at IDG's CITE conference in San Francisco. | Get expert advice about planning and implementing your BYOD strategy with InfoWorld's 29-page "Mobile and BYOD Deep Dive" PDF special report. ]

Android malware growth
Depending on where you go, you’ll find varying stats on the amount of Android malware we’ve seen thus far. This is complicated by the fact that most of the information available about malware comes from security vendors, who obviously have a pony in the anti-malware race.

Article source: http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/5-free-android-security-apps-your-smartphone-186926

McAfee Q4 Threats Report Shows Malware Surpassed 75 Million Samples In 2011

VFP Publisher — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:28:51 +0000

McAfee today released the McAfee Threats Report: Fourth Quarter 2011,
revealing that malware surpassed the company’s estimate of 75 million
unique malware samples last year. Although the release of new malware
slowed in Q4, mobile malware continued to increase and recorded its
busiest year to date.

“The threat landscape continued to evolve in 2011, and we saw a
significant shift in motivation for cyber attacks,” said Vincent Weafer,
senior vice president of McAfee Labs. “Increasingly, we’ve seen that no
organization, platform or device is immune to the increasingly
sophisticated and targeted threats. On a global basis, we are conducting
more of our personal and business transactions through mobile devices,
and this is creating new security risks and challenges in how we
safeguard our commercial and personal data.”

Malware

The overall growth of PC-based malware actually declined throughout Q4
2011, and is significantly lower than Q4 2010. The cumulative number of
unique malware samples in the collection still exceeds the 75 million
mark. In total, both 2011 and

Article source: http://www.thestreet.com/story/11426273/1/mcafee-q4-threats-report-shows-malware-surpassed-75-million-samples-in-2011.html