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Android apps hotbed for malware, report finds

F-Secure analyzed 19 new families of mobile malware. It found a big increase in products that target Android.

Federal News Network Staff

August 8, 2012 9:02 am

< a min read

If you bring your own device to work and it’s an Android smartphone — beware.

Android apps hosted outside of the official Android market are hotbeds of malware, according to the Finnish antivirus company F-Secure, SearchSecurity.com reports.

The company analyzed 19 new families of mobile malware. It found a big increase in products that target Android. The most common type of attack is a Trojan that arrives in a text message.

SearchSecurity.com said Apple and Windows mobile phones are also targets for malware, but the most popular target is Android.

A growing number of agencies let employees bring their own devices. But it’s wise to have a policy against untested apps.

This story is part of Federal News Radio’s daily Cybersecurity Update. For more cybersecurity news, click here.