The mobile malware menace

As mobile technology continues to become more prevalent in use and present in our hands, so too do the “bad guys” make gains in skill and tools. As such the recent malware report (PDF) released last week by McAfee showed a 22% increase in malware over the same period last year.

Android was hardest hit with malicious software disguised as legitimate apps. The attacks are getting more sophisticated as well, finding exploits through downloads of common apps with hard-to-detect holes that open up for more malware to be downloaded behind the scenes.

Much of this can be blamed on Google’s “less rigorous and consequently, less secure” vetting process for new apps that hit the Android Marketplace according to a white paper Symantec published in June.

The infographic below by our friends at MyLookout looks at the realities in the trends behind mobile threats. More importantly, it offers tips people can use to test if their phone is infected with malware.

Be careful what variation of Angry Birds you’re downloading!