McAfee have released a 12 page document highlighting trends in specific areas of data security. These areas are: spyware, mobile phone hacking and the growing number of apps which compromise the security of computers, tablets and phones.
The report paints a picture of high threat levels combined with low awareness leading to a widespread pattern of mobile malware distributed through infected apps.
Within the fairly conservative McAfee user community, 75 percent of malware-infected apps were downloaded from Google Play. The openness and ubiquity of the Android platform has made it a prime target for criminals seeking to gain access to other people’s digital devices.
The most alarming statistic is that typical consumers have at least a 1 in 6 chance of downloading apps that include malware or suspicious URLs.
The definition of Malware is broad and many ‘suspicious’ apps may in the past have only caused very minor problems. However it now seems that 40 percent of malware families misbehave in more than one way. This shows the sophistication and determination of the criminals to steal data via these routes.
More information can be found at http://www.mcafee.com/us/resources/reports/rp-mobile-security-consumer-trends.pdf