Smartphones based on the Android mobile OS are facing increasing cybercriminal attacks and more enterprises are becoming exposed to malicious IT threats due to bring-your-own-devices (BYOD), a report said.
Mobile devices can expose users’ and organizations’ valuable data to unauthorized people if precautions are not taken, the report from security firm Trend Micro also said.
“As Android devices gain in popularity, so does its use by cybercriminals. The Android platform has become a favorite attack target due to its app distribution model, which makes it completely open to all parties. We believe the attack will continue throughout the year,” said Myla Pilao, director of marketing communications at Trend Micro’s TrendLabs.
“In fact, the number of mobile malware detected by Trend Micro has doubled in a span of one month. This goes beyond our initial projections for the month. Two of the most notorious Android malware variants, RuFraud9 and DroidDreamLight10, have caused millions of users a lot of grief from losing data and, at times, money,” Pilao said.
Additional data from Trend Micro reveal a breakdown of the behavior of the top 10 malware families. Fake apps are the most dominant at 30%. Data stealers follow at 21%. Adware comes in third with 18%. Premium Service Abusers come in at 14% while Rooter/RAT and Malicious Downloaders come in at 13% and 4%, respectively.
Data loss incidents due to improperly secured personal devices will increase as more devices, which are not fully controlled by IT administrators, store or access corporate data. Lack of any malware-detecting system will be particularly problematic for the APAC region, which seems very open to BYOD, Trend Micro also said.