SMEs warned to lock up mobiles as Android spam skyrockets in six months

The number of malware attacks focused on the Android platform rose by almost 500% in the past six months, according to new research, and experts warn businesses need to ensure they watch what they download or risk infecting others as well.

The research comes as security companies warn scams and phishing attacks – especially focused on mobile platforms – are set to increase in the five weeks before Christmas.

The new figures from Juniper Research show the number of malware threats on the Android platform has risen by 472% since the company’s previous survey in April. A separate report in August found malware in 400 apps.

The research itself states that because of Android’s market structure, malware is more likely to thrive. Instead of inspecting every app for bugs like Apple, Google allows users to post any type of app in its marketplace.

Security expert Lloyd Borrett says the actual number of threats though is low compared to threats on the computer.

“It is coming off a low base, but a lot of this is based around malware getting on to phones, and then using that malicious software to send premium services and texts, and that sort of thing.”

“The Chinese Government has cracked down on that a lot, so we’ve seen that going into more games and such. A lot of these apps are covers for other forms of malware.”

Borrett notes a lot of Android malware can be particularly nasty, including a program that records phone calls.

“They can get pretty bad,” he says.

“And this is made worse by the fact that a lot of people don’t even password protect their phones, and even fewer have security software on their machines. There are companies that have this software for free and they don’t use it.”

The Juniper research shows the threats are mostly split between spyware and Trojans. While spyware infects a device and sends information from the phone back to whoever controls the software, Trojans get users to send messages or click on links that ask them to pay money.

The figures show a significant amount of Trojan activity is sourced from Russia.

But with the number of attacks growing every month, Borrett says it’s crucial for employees to lock up their phones, specifically as more people start using the Android platform as an alternative to iOS.

“There is a potentially increased risk on the Android platform. We all know that no platform is inherently more secure, but people just need to be careful.”