Updated at Sat, May 19, 2012 at 11:15  

Article source: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/android-malware-families-have-quadrupleda-year-says-report_706621.html

Updated at Sat, May 19, 2012 at 11:15  

Article source: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/android-malware-families-have-quadrupleda-year-says-report_706621.html

19 May, 2012, 11:09 am IST | by
Naina Khedekar
| <!– 33 Comments –>

Google’s Android mobile platform has been quite popular with masses with budgets of all sizes. However, they say, ‘popularity comes with a price’ and a recent Mobile Threat Report Q12012 by the security firm, F-Secure has revealed that the malware targeting Android users have quadrupled since 2011.  The report shows that about 10 Android malware families have come to the forefront in 2011, while the number has increased to 37 families in the first quarter of 2012. This clearly shows a year over year growth of a staggering 270 percent. 

A comparison between the number of malicious Android application package files (APKs) received in Q1 2011 and in Q1 2012 reveals a more staggering find — an increase from 139 to 3063 counts. This growth in number can be attributed to malware authors crafting their infected or trojanized applications to defeat anti-virus signature detection, distributing their malware in different application names, and trojanizing widely popular applications, according the report. The increase in the number of malware families and malicious Android APKs points out the elevated mobile threats for the renowned mobile platform.  However, it is shocking to see the growth of malicious Android application package files crossing 3000. 

Article source: http://tech2.in.com/news/general/android-malware-families-have-quadrupled-in-a-year-says-report/308262

19 May, 2012, 11:09 am IST | by
Naina Khedekar
| <!– 33 Comments –>

Google’s Android mobile platform has been quite popular with masses with budgets of all sizes. However, they say, ‘popularity comes with a price’ and a recent Mobile Threat Report Q12012 by the security firm, F-Secure has revealed that the malware targeting Android users have quadrupled since 2011.  The report shows that about 10 Android malware families have come to the forefront in 2011, while the number has increased to 37 families in the first quarter of 2012. This clearly shows a year over year growth of a staggering 270 percent. 

A comparison between the number of malicious Android application package files (APKs) received in Q1 2011 and in Q1 2012 reveals a more staggering find — an increase from 139 to 3063 counts. This growth in number can be attributed to malware authors crafting their infected or trojanized applications to defeat anti-virus signature detection, distributing their malware in different application names, and trojanizing widely popular applications, according the report. The increase in the number of malware families and malicious Android APKs points out the elevated mobile threats for the renowned mobile platform.  However, it is shocking to see the growth of malicious Android application package files crossing 3000. 

Article source: http://tech2.in.com/news/general/android-malware-families-quadrupled-in-a-year-says-report/308262

19 May, 2012, 11:09 am IST | by
Naina Khedekar
| <!– 33 Comments –>

Google’s Android mobile platform has been quite popular with masses with budgets of all sizes. However, they say, ‘popularity comes with a price’ and a recent Mobile Threat Report Q12012 by the security firm, F-Secure has revealed that the malware targeting Android users have quadrupled since 2011.  The report shows that about 10 Android malware families have come to the forefront in 2011, while the number has increased to 37 families in the first quarter of 2012. This clearly shows a year over year growth of a staggering 270 percent. 

A comparison between the number of malicious Android application package files (APKs) received in Q1 2011 and in Q1 2012 reveals a more staggering find — an increase from 139 to 3063 counts. This growth in number can be attributed to malware authors crafting their infected or trojanized applications to defeat anti-virus signature detection, distributing their malware in different application names, and trojanizing widely popular applications, according the report. The increase in the number of malware families and malicious Android APKs points out the elevated mobile threats for the renowned mobile platform.  However, it is shocking to see the growth of malicious Android application package files crossing 3000. 

Article source: http://tech2.in.com/news/general/android-malware-families-quadrupled-in-a-year-says-report/308262

Android, once dubbed a “cyber menace,” is too popular, too juicy and potentially too lucrative of a target for malware writers to ignore. In fact, a new F-Secure report suggests malware writers are getting craftier by creating trojanized apps that can defeat anti-virus detection. F-Secure released its latest mobile threat report [PDF] concerning the first quarter of 2012 and Android malware has grown exponentially. Since a year ago, the number of new malware variants have quadrupled and the number of malicious Android application package files (APKs) had a “staggering” increase of “139 to 3063 counts.”

According to F-Secure:

Today what we’re seeing are malicious Android applications that have bundled legitimate apps such as Rovio’s Angry Birds Space. First the malicious “wrapper” tricks and manipulates the user into granting permissions that allow the malware to subscribe to premium rate services. But then….then malware actually does install a working copy of the promised game. At this point, there is little to be suspicious of and nothing to troubleshoot. The user gets the game that he was promised.

After identifying a fake antivirus scam making the rounds on Twitter, GFI blogged about the growing Android malware threat; if this rogue antivirus APK file is downloaded, it shows the Kaspersky logo. “Such Tweets are equally accessible to computer (desktop, laptop, and tablet) and smartphone users. There is no doubt, however, that smartphone users on Android are particularly targeted by these spam.”

A new NSA mobile risks fact sheet [PDF] said the newer generation of smartphones are more resistant to cyberattacks, but also listed the attack categories against mobile devices, including vectors, sophistication

Article source: http://blogs.computerworld.com/20186/mobile_malware_madness_favorite_target_android_heres_3_free_security_apps

When a user downloads an installation file, it appears to install the app on the device, but then redirects the user to Google Play, where they can download the app for free. By this time, the first installation – which was the malicious software – has already sent off a premium SMS message and the user will be charged for it.

Symantec has repeated its call (and that of all security software peddlers) for users to install apps only from trusted sources, and also to read the permissions that are requested by app.

It points out, as an example, that a game usually would not require the ability to send SMS messages. If you are uncomfortable with the permissions required by any apps, from any source, you should opt not to install them.

Article source: http://www.afterdawn.com/news/article.cfm/2012/05/18/android_malware_charges_for_free_apps

Apple Security a Problem?

Kaspersky’s Chief Technology Officer, Nikolai Grebennikov, was recently interviewed by computing.co.uk, where he claimed that Mac OS was “really vulnerable” and that Apple wasn’t paying enough attention to security threats, according to this CNET article. He brought up the Flashback malware issue from the last few months as proof, claiming that Apple misstepped by blocking Oracle’s fix and waiting months to issue one of their own. Lastly, he claimed that Kaspersky has analyzed Apple’s platform at the request of the tech giant, a huge win for the security company.

Of course, it didn’t take long for the corrections to start coming out. Kaspersky claimed that the reporter took Grebonnikov’s comments out of context and that Apple had no knowledge or involvement with Kaspersky’s analysis. They did mention that Apple was still open to collaboration, whatever that means.

As if this already didn’t look enough like a botched marketing ploy, digging a little into the past only brings up more questionable comments. According to this eWeek article, this wasn’t Kaspersky’s first shot across Apple’s bow. In fact, this same executive made similar claims about iOS last year, which have yet to even remotely be proven true.

iOS and Apple Security

Even if the Kaspersky comments appear to be little more than an attempt to get attention from Apple, there may

Article source: http://midsizeinsider.com/en-us/article/apple-security-under-fire-from-kaspersky

Updated at Sat, May 19, 2012 at 11:15  

Article source: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/android-malware-families-have-quadrupleda-year-says-report_706621.html

Updated at Sat, May 19, 2012 at 11:15  

Article source: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/android-malware-families-have-quadrupleda-year-says-report_706621.html