Android Malware Apps Hit 700,000 Devices

700,000 Android phones host to malicious apps, claims study

  More than 700,000 Android devices are infected with malicious apps, according to a new study.

According to Trend Micro, there has been an increase of over 200,000 apps installed on devices that could contain malware. 44 per cent of the apps discovered subscribe users to services without them knowing, including sending texts to premium rate numbers.

Other malicious apps installed on devices steal data, while the third most common issue was adware.

JD Sherry, vice president at Trend Micro said, 'Due to the fractured nature of the Android network, it is very difficult for patches to reach all users in an effective timeframe.'

'In some cases, users will never get patches as vendors leave their customers at risk of attack. Until we have the same urgency to protect mobile devices as we have for protecting PCs, this very real threat will continue to grow rapidly.'

The reason why the adoption rate of these malicious apps is so high is because the toolkits required to produce malicious apps are available for free online. Thankfully, the UK population has one of the lowest number of malicious apps operating on their devices. The study said Saudi Arabia, Burma, Vietnam, Mexico and Russia had the highest level of malicious app downloads.

Last year, security firm Sophos said the Android platform was the most open to malicious apps.

'The volume of malware that we've discovered highlights that mobile security is a real and growing problem, especially on Android,' said senior security consultant at Sophos, Graham Cluley.

'Criminals are creating more and more targeted malware for different platforms, and smartphone users need to wise up to the fact that security is no longer limited to PCs, but mobiles and tablets are also at risk if not sufficiently protected,' he added.