McAfee Q2 2011 Threats Report Shows Significant Growth for Malware on Mobile Platforms

McAfee released the McAfee “Threats Report: Second Quarter 2011” showing a 76 percent jump of malware directed toward Android devices making it the most attacked mobile operating system.

With the vast amounts of personal and business data now found on user’s mobile phones, mobile malware is steadily increasing, often mimicking the same code as PC-based threats.The rapid rise…

Android Users Beware: Mobile Malware May Be Recording Your Calls

These days, mobile technologies have seemingly endless possibilities. The efficiency and portability of new software applications for technologies on-the-go have both consumers and providers alike excited about the future of the industry.

Like all new technologies, however, mobile devices’ evolving capabilities have introduced a surge of new security threats. Cyber criminals are adapting malware to the new mobile platform while security providers scramble to keep up.

According to recent findings…

McAfee Report: Mobile Malware is New Frontier of Cyber Crime

The first quarter of 2011 has proven to be a busy time for cyber criminals who are now making mobile malware the new frontier of cyber crime, according to McAfee’s Labs’ most recent Threats Report.

The security company revealed in its research that Q1 2011 was the most active first quarter…

SRA, M.A.D. to Bring Federal Clients iPhone, iPad Security Solutions

Smartphone security company M.A.D. Partners, LLC and SRA International, Inc. have announced a collaboration in which SRA will be able to offer federal customers various services to protect and secure iPhones and iPads.

M.A.D’s Mobile Enterprise Compliance and Security Server locks down iPhones and iPads, as well as…

Android App Actually Used to Spy on Geolocation Symantec Warns

A gaming app available in Google’s Android Market tracks a user’s location, which can be monitored in real-time, according to researcher with Symantec.

The free application, called Tapsnake, claims to be an Android variation of a video game which has been available for the past 30 years. However, every 15 minutes, the app clandestinely uploads the user’s GPS coordinates to a server which can then be monitored by individuals who…

Android Antivirus Passes 2.5 Million Downloads

A free anti-virus app for the Android smartphone has surpassed 2.5 million downloads last week. DroidSecurity’s ad-supported antivirus free app is now one of the 50 most popular apps in the Android marketplace, even though the Android has experienced few virus issues yet.

Dror Shalev, CTO and co-founder of DroidSecurity, said the new anti-virus app only has 200 signatures mostly of spyware and phishing campaigns. The company also provides text-messaging…

Android Trojan Found in Wild

A smartphone Trojan which spreads via text messaging and effects Android has been found by researchers in the wild. The Trojan appears to be a harmless media player app has already infected a number of smartphones, according to Kaspersky Labs.

The Trojan then operates on the phone, sending SMSs to premium rate phone numbers without the owner’s knowledge. The money shifts from a user’s account to the cyber…

Android App Steals Info and Sends It to China, Researcher Says

A wallpaper app for the Android which collects a user’s information and sends it to a site in China has been downloaded millions of times, according to a researcher with Lookout, a mobile security firm.

Jackeey Wallpaper, available from the Android Market, which offers wallpaper-themes like Star Wars and My Little Pony, collects a user’s phone number, currently entered voicemail number and subscriber identifier, according to Lookout. The data is…

Researchers Create Mobile Botnet with Weather App

At last week’s RSA Conference, security researchers with TippingPoint’s Digital Vaccine Group presented their research into mobile botnets. To date, the largest mobile botnet was centered predominately in Europe on “jailbroken” iPhones. Researchers Derek Brown and Daniel Tijerina were able to fool around 8,000 iPhone and Android users into “joining” a mobile botnet by downloading a seemingly innocent weather app.

The app, called WeatherFist, captured a user’s GPS coordinates and…

Hacking Contest Offers $100,000 for Smartphone Hacks

An annual hacking contest that has broken security on both pcs and macs is now offering a $100,000 prize for smartphone and browser hacks. The Pwn2Own competition will offer various cash prizes for carrying out various exploits on different mobile phone systems including the iPhone, Blackberry and Android.

In an announcement of the rules this year, ZDI’s Aaron Portnoy wrote “The increased presence and capabilities of smart phones…