Android targeted as tablet and smartphone malware jumps 270 per cent

Mobile malware soared by over 270 per cent in the first half of 2011 compared with the same period in the previous year, as cyber criminals look at new ways to make money, according to the latest research from German security firm G Data.

The vendor's G Data SecurityLabs found a record 1,245,403 new computer malware programs in the first half of 2011, up 15.7 per cent on the second half of 2010 and a year-on-year increase of 273 per cent.

Trojan malware was the most popular threat category, and Android was particularly badly hit as the platform becomes more popular and therefore more lucrative for cyber criminals, the report found.

One example given by G Data is the Zsone malware which was spread via the Android Market and contained a Trojan that sent subscription registrations to premium rate Chinese SMS numbers.

The vendor expects the growth in malware targeting smartphone and tablet platforms to continue over the next six months, and predicts that 2.5 million new malware strains will be recorded by the end of the year.

Eddy Willems, G Data security evangelist, told V3 that the figures should be concerning for IT managers.

"There may currently be fewer threats for mobile devices, but the continued development of mobile malware is expected to be faster than the development of malware for PCs, as established exploitation structures already exist in the underground," he said.

"Businesses need to ensure they are protected. It is very easy for employees to bring malware unknowingly onto the company network via a smartphone or tablet."