Google Android Malware Surges 400 Per Cent

[ThaiLife]

There has been a 400 per cent increase in malware on Google's Android platform since the middle of last year and the problem is causing such concern that several Android anti-virus programs have been released.

There are over 200,000 applications on the Android Market today – up from 50,000 a year ago – but the huge growth in the platform has brought with it a rise in malicious apps designed to steal user data.

The issue highlights the flaws in Google's open, freewheeling approach compared to the tightly controlled nature of Apple's iTunes App Store.

The 400 per cent increase in malware figure is contained in a new study on mobile security released by Juniper Networks, which found that the application store was the biggest distribution point for malware on mobiles.

A malicious Android app known as DroidDream is believed to have infected about 50,000 Android users before Google began to remove it, with limited success.

"The last 18 months have produced a non-stop barrage of newsworthy threat events and while most had been aimed at traditional desktop computers, hackers are now setting their sights on mobile devices," said Jeff Wilson, principle analyst at Infonetics Research.

This week security firm Webroot released its Webroot Mobile Security for Android software, which is available on the Android Market. There is a free and paid version.

The Webroot software scans apps before they are installed to ensure they are safe, scans web links and URLs to block phishing attacks and can be used to remotely wipe all information from the phone in the event that it is stolen.

Security firm AVG has also released an Android anti-virus program.

At its I/O event in San Francisco this week, Google announced that over 100 million Android devices had been activated around the world.

Google's Hugo Barra also revealed that over 400,000 new Android devices are activated globally each day, up from 100,000 this time last year.

At the event Google gave a preview of the next version of Android, "Ice Cream Sandwich", which is designed to take the best parts of the Android Honeycomb tablet platform and bring them to Android smartphones.

But it's not just smartphones and tablets – Google also announced plans for Android to power everything from smart light bulbs to appliances to sound systems.

Movie rentals and a music storage service are also coming via Google to the Android platform but this is only available for US users at this stage.

Asked whether the reported rise in Android malware meant anti-virus programs for the platform were desirable or necessary, a Google spokeswoman did not directly answer the question.

"We are committed to providing a secure Android Market experience for consumers," the spokeswoman said.

"Our approach includes clearly defined Android Market Content policies that developers must adhere to, plus a multi-layered security model based on user permissions and sandboxing.

"Applications in violation of our policies are removed from A

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[Highway311]

Yes, i love my AppleOS on my iPad II

[jybkk]

This article is full of sensationalist bullshit.

While it is very true that Android App Market is based on openness and applications do not need to go through the arbitrary and opaque process of Apple App Store censorship comitee, there's nothing like a the infestation of malware this article tries to paint.

Let's take a few quotes here:

There has been a 400 per cent increase in malware on Google's Android platform since the middle of last year and the problem is causing such concern that several Android anti-virus programs have been released.

400% means not much. Could be 4 malicious app existing instead of 1, out of 200,000... Anti Virus have not been released because of this: they exist since the beginning of Android (even before any malware was ven reported) and are just a way to make cash on people's fears.

A malicious Android app known as DroidDream is believed to have infected about 50,000 Android users

Google's Hugo Barra also revealed that over 400,000 new Android devices are activated globally each day, up from 100,000 this time last year.

See here? 50,000 "infected"... 400,000 phone activation A DAY.

There's probably more people losing their phone every month than those 50,000.

So yes, there is a concern, because brain-dead users who don't think more than one second before clicking on "authorize app to read my private information" have a risk to get their contact list stolen. But even this is not left "unattended", at the last I-O conference, Google announced new features of the market, including "trusted source" lists. This is, in my opinion, a better approach than Apple's walled garden since it lets the possibility for smaller developpers to have their application in the market and distribute it to the more experienced users while the average users can stick with the trusted apps without risk.

Note that this security concern is not related to the platform itself but to the way App Store and Market are handled. Apple iOS has malware too... that does the exact same thing: steal personal data.

This is mostly a user problem... As many in my business say: "There's no patch for stupidity"

[englishinsiam]

I use AVG on my Android and having downloaded over 200 Apps I've never had anything malicious reported. I think this is just reports to sell papers.