subject: How Mobile Applications Posses Malware Threat [print this page] The launch of App Store has changed our lifestyle. Whether you own a business or just a smartphone, mobile applications must be an integral part of your life. The success of Apple's App Store created space for other mobile app development companies. Google's Play Store, BlackBerry's App World were soon launched to conquer the world of smartphones.
Mobile applications have become prone to malicious attacks. Juniper Networks in a research has revealed that malware targeting mobile devices is increasing at an alarming report. From 2010 to 2011, there was a 155 percent increase in the mobile malware across various platforms. Most of the malware falls into two categories:
1. Spyware (63.4 percent) - Captures and transfers data without the knowledge of the user
2. SMS Trojans (36.4 percent) - Sends SMS to a hacker's premium rate number
Web browsing, shopping for apps, downloading applications, mobile devices are exposed to all kinds of threats including malware, phishing, and email scams.
It is important for mobile device owners to know that the very own application they are downloading might be the malware carrier. Security testing is often overlooking, which makes the application vulnerable to hackers.
The British Telecom in a recent survey showed that there are massive amounts of app-based malware hidden in Android devices. However, they were unable to find out if the code is active or how it is impacting the device.
A malware infected mobile application or a malware in form of app can make your smart device perform unauthorized activities like stealing information, data deletion, or making phone calls unknowingly.
Phases of Malware Attack
There are three phases of malware attack.
1. Infection - User downloads an application that contains a malware. Mostly games are used to spread malware attack by hackers.
2. Accomplishment of Goal - A malware after infecting the device will either try to do some monetary damage, delete or modify the data, or make your device prone for bigger future attacks
3. Spread to Other Systems - Once the malware has infected your device and accomplished its goal, it will try to spread through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, SMS, Email, or any other data sharing/transfer activity user performs on the device.
Here are some of the harms done by malicious application:
1. It can use network services like voice or SMS to make calls to Premium Rate Services numbers
2. It can subscribe to some unwanted billing schemes
3. Steal your personal phone records and account details & send it to a third party
A mobile application malware can posses great threat to businesses also. It can use the corrupted mobile device as a proxy or gateway to get access to organization's central network.
How to Protect the Mobile Device from Application Malware
It is important to get more information about a mobile application before installing it in your device. When Google came to know that 50 applications had a Trojan horse hidden inside to steal user's information, it immediately banished the apps.
Taking a layered approach is the best way to protect the device. Before downloading an application, look at the permission and ensure that it is not asking to access a not necessary data stored in the device.
Second layer is installing a good antivirus and firewall should be your third layer.
There are security applications offering real-time antivirus, anti-spam, and firewall protection. Moreover, it is the responsibility of developers and app stores to regularly check the mobile applications for malware. Thorough testing of applications, installing antivirus are some of the safest and best known ways to save your mobile device from a malicious application.
