Published: August 02, 2011
Lookout Finds Significant Increase in Mobile Threat Activity in Past Six Months
SAN FRANCISCO - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Lookout Mobile Security, the leader in mobile security, today announced
the results of its Mobile
Threat Report, based on threat data from its Mobile Threat Network,
which includes data collected from more than 700 thousand apps and 10
million devices worldwide. Lookout found that mobile malware has
increased significantly, with Android users two-and-a-half times as
likely to encounter malware today than just six months ago. Lookout
estimates that between a half million and one million users were
affected by mobile malware in the first half of 2011. At the same time,
web-based threats which operate across platforms, have emerged as a
significant part of the threat landscape with three out of ten mobile
users likely to click on an unsafe link, including malicious and
phishing links, over the course of a year.
New Threat Steals Money by Charging Users for Premium Rate Text
Messages
GGTracker,
discovered in June 2011, is the first known Android malware that
specifically targets U.S.-based Android users. This malware signs users
up for premium text message subscription services without their
knowledge, charging $10 per service to a person's phone bill. In some
cases users were charged for multiple services with total charges
ranging up to $50. Previously, these types of attacks mainly affected
Android users in China, Russia and Eastern Europe. In addition to the
monetary impact of the malware, GGTracker used new techniques to broadly
distribute the malware including Malvertising.
Malware Developers Explore New Distribution Methods
During the first half of 2011, Lookout found that attackers repackage
legitimate applications with malware, creating Trojan applications that
appear to be legitimate, but in fact are malicious, and post them to app
stores and download sites. More recently, malware writers are using new
techniques to secure wide distribution. Attackers employ a tactic called
Malvertising, whereby they use mobile ads to direct users to a malicious
website that triggers an automatic download of malware. Additionally,
Lookout saw the first Update Attack, in which an attacker first
publishes a legitimate application with no malware, and once they have a
large user base, they release an update that includes malware so the
entire user base gets the updated infected application.
In the First Half of 2011 the Number of Malicious Apps Grew to 400
During the first half of 2011, the number of unique apps with malware
found on markets and download sites grew from 80 to 400 apps. Two of the
most prevalent threats, DroidDream
and GGTracker, were regularly published in new apps over the first half
of the year. During this period, the authors of DroidDream released more
than 80 unique applications with variations of malware to take control
of a user's phone. Similar to DroidDream, the authors of GGTracker
continue to publish new infected apps across app stores and download
sites, bringing its total infected app count up to 15 since mid-June.
How to Stay Safe
"As mobile devices grow in popularity, so do the incentives for
attackers," says Kevin Mahaffey, CTO and co-founder of Lookout Mobile
Security. "We've seen the prevalence and the level of sophistication of
mobile malware attacks evolve significantly in the first six months of
2011. We expect this trend to continue as more and more people adopt
mobile devices."
As the frequency of mobile threats increase, people can take measures to
stay safe:
-
Only download apps from trusted sources, such as reputable app stores
and download sites. Remember to look at the developer name, reviews,
and star ratings.
-
After clicking on a web link, pay close attention to the address to
make sure it matches the website it claimed to be.
-
Download a mobile
security tool that scans every app you download for malware and
spyware, and can help you locate a lost or stolen device. For extra
protection, make sure your security app can also protect from unsafe
websites.
-
Be alert for unusual behavior on a phone. This behavior could be a
sign that the phone is infected. These behaviors may include unusual
text messages, strange charges to the phone bill, and suddenly
decreased battery life.
About Lookout Mobile Security
Lookout is a mobile security company dedicated to making the mobile
experience safe for everyone. Lookout delivers award-winning protection
from the growing threats facing mobile users today including malware and
spyware, phishing scams, data loss, and device loss. Lookout is
cross-platform, cloud-connected and designed from the ground up to
provide advanced protection for smartphones while remaining lightweight
and efficient on the phone. With users across 400 mobile networks in 170
countries, Lookout is a world leader in smartphone security.
Headquartered in San Francisco, Lookout is funded by Accel Partners,
Index Ventures, Khosla Ventures and Trilogy Equity Partners. For more
information and to download the application, please visit www.mylookout.com.
SutherlandGold Group
Julia Vinyard, 415-655-4561
lookout@sutherlandgold.com
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