Explosion of Android threats in 2012

How exactly do users install these viruses?

From the store?
 
This article was a bit fishy so I googled a bit.

This Kaspersky article failed to mention how these apps were installed. More importantly they don't make the distinction between users with the option "allow unsigned APKs" selected and those who do not. Even if you have it selected they don't say if the "users" got the virus from the official store or by actually installing a dodgy unsigned APK.

The Kaspersky article I found were they elaborated more they specifically say "most cases" are users attempting to install pay to use apps from a warez site. AKA unsigned APKs from dodgy web-site.

That is kinda showing a statistic of how unsafe a car is based on how many of their drivers have had accidents.
 
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Funny, I haven't noticed any malware on any of my android devices...
 
Gnome said:
That is kinda showing a statistic of how unsafe a car is based on how many of their drivers have had accidents.
Click to expand...

more like saying "9 out of 10 users got viruses from downloaded* games"

*Downloaded exclusively off the pirate bay
 
Either way, malware authors always target the most popular platform. The fact that Android devices are becoming targets for malware more than any other only serves to promote how popular it is. Additionally, many people are not as smart as their phone so malware etc can be introduced through many vectors without the owners knowledge. Since Kaspersky have an interest in making sure they can scare as many people into buying their product, I would take their stats with a bucket of salt.

Funny how the malware numbers are so high. How many of these figures are "only seen in the lab" and how many are reported incidents? If Kaspersky are reluctant to share the details of their analysis, I don't see a reason to take them too seriously. Good mobile security practice is important however but toting figures like this is actually quite irresponsible if you hide the details.
 
So what was the other 1%?

Were they intending to only use Android viruses in their analysis, and somehow a handful of viruses for other platforms crept in?
 
Nothing like scare tactics to sell guns/Trellidor/etc or anti-malware software. I would even write a few viruses myself to push up the list if I was in this business.

I get ad rubbish hidden inside apps but nothing like this. If one get stuff off the darknet then one must put the necessary protection in place. If one however stick to the official channels I do not see this being such a big deal as Kasperski is trying to make this out to be. Google will be onto exploits in a flash that comes through their official network.
 
Nothing like a whole new line of business opening up for a company like Kasperski. Illness is a doctor's best friend ...
 
My Android phone came with a pre-installed anti-virus to remedy this situation. Happily moving along now... :)

PS: AVG is the most downloaded Anti-Virus program in the Google Play Store :D
 
Fox1 said:
My Android phone came with a pre-installed anti-virus to remedy this situation. Happily moving along now... :)

PS: AVG is the most downloaded Anti-Virus program in the Google Play Store :D
Click to expand...

You are using an anti-virus scanner for Linux? :)
 
Fox1 said:
My Android phone came with a pre-installed anti-virus to remedy this situation. Happily moving along now... :)

PS: AVG is the most downloaded Anti-Virus program in the Google Play Store :D
Click to expand...

Proving once and for all that most Android users are gullible.
 
If you get malware on your Android device its your own doing. You can't blame the OS when you knowingly gave the app permissions
 
Gnome said:
Proving once and for all that most Android users are gullible.
Click to expand...

Not a terribly useful inference; most people are [-]morons[/-] gullible, so it follows that most members of any sufficiently large group would be [-]morons[/-] gullible. :D
 
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