The issue of malware is one of the most worrying for Android device users. And it is that, at the moment, it is the mobile operating system that more attacks suffered throughout the year. But the most important thing is not that, but the growth in just one year has been more than 3000%, according to the study of Mobile Threats 2011. The study has been carried out by the company Juniper Networks Mobile Threat Center. The growth of malware for Android has not been unique, in general, the amount of malicious mobile software it has grown in a spectacular, unprecedented way. However, Google's operating system has been the main objective, something logical, considering that it is the one that reaches more people, and also the most open, being thus the one that offers more results to hackers and obscure developers.
In the last six months of 2011, attacks on Android devices went from 400 to 13.302, almost half of the attacks that were carried out in total to mobile devices, 28.474.
Regarding the type of malware, the study reveals interesting details, such as that the spyware are the most popular within our mobiles, including the 63 % of security penetrations. Meanwhile, secondly, the Trojans acquired through a SMSa 36 %.
These attacks are limited to obtaining personal information. Usually data about our location and use of the device. But the truth is that if they are capable of that, they are also capable of other much more dangerous things, such as obtaining our bank details if we do business from the mobile, or obtaining our messages and contacts. The data revealed by the study clarify that the 30 % of the attacks are carried out with the intention of obtaining information about the GPS position of the user, while the 14,7 % have as goal make calls to phone numbers without the user noticing, causing incomprehensible invoices later.
As if this were not enough, more and more sophisticated attack systems appear. In the case of Android, we have applications that are capable of circumvent the security system of the mobile, and others that are camouflaged as totally clean apps. Knowing this, we can now start preparing to protect our mobile, since the forecast is that in 2012 it will continue to rise. However, surely seeing how the storm is, many security companies are launched to improve and promote their antivirus for android.