According to the third annual Mobile Threats Report by Juniper Networks, mobile malware is becoming “an increasingly profit-driven business.” The report says that the mobile malware across all mobile platforms has now rose 155 percent in 2011, while the figure grew 614 percent to 276,259 total malicious apps between March 2012 through March 2013.
Other major points mentioned in the report are:
- 73% of all malicious exploit holes in mobile payments by sending fraudulent premium SMS message, each generating around $10 USD in immediate profit.
- Android is responsible for 92% of all known mobile malware.
- There are more than 500 third-party app stores containing malicious apps.
- 77% of Android threats could be largely eliminated today if all Android devices had the latest OS. Currently only 4% do.
