New data from Symantec confirms that malware writers continue to target Android above all other mobile platforms.
“The report is based on data from the Symantec Global Intelligence Network, which Symantec’s analysts use to identify, analyze, and provide commentary on emerging trends in the dynamic threat landscape,” Symantec’s report reads.
The official and third-party app stores available to Android embody the platform’s gravest security weakness. As the world witnessed last summer, a Remote Administration Tool (RAT) appeared in a number of apps in the Google Play store.
The release of an instant messaging application by a well-known smartphone vendor on the Android platform. Attackers in turn took advantage of the popularity of the new app and released a variety of counterfeit versions bundled with adware. These apps were quickly removed from the Android marketplace, but not before accumulating a large number of downloads.
“The attraction of the mobile environment to attackers is clearly based on the size and growth rate of the user base today,” Symantec says. “Yet it’s also based on the amount of personal information that’s easily attainable once an attacker is on the device. With the right permissions the device’s phone number, GPS coordinates, camera, and other information become readily available.”
To review the complete Mobile Threat Classifications of the past year, check out the graphic below.
