Most people are conditioned at this point to run antimalware or other security software on their PCs, and theyve been trained with the common sense to recognize and avoid many types of attacks. However, that security mindset hasnt yet transferred over to smartphones and tablets, so many people lack adequate protection on their mobile devices.
The fact that many companies are embracing BYOD (bring your own device) and allowing employees to use their own personal mobile devices to connect to network resources and company data raises the stakes and makes mobile devices an even greater risk in many cases.
Android smartphones and tablets are the hottest targets. Virtually all mobile malware samples detected are intended for Android, ranging from malware that sends out SMS messages, or fraudulent SMS payments, mobile botnets, spyware, and Trojans that can capture or destroy data from Android devices.
Apples iOS is more locked down by nature, and the apps have to be approved by Apple to get into the app store. With Android, though, the platform is more open by design, and users are free to get apps from a wide variety of sources outside of the official Google Play store. Android apps are typically not reviewed or vetted in any way, making it easier for attackers to plant apps containing malware.
The report illustrates very clearly that users still need to be on guard against new threats. More importantly, it demonstrates why antimalware protection on the PC alone isnt enough. You need to have the same, solid protection for all of your PCs and mobile devices.
