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Over 60% of Android Malware Hides In Fake Versions of Popular Apps

Posted by Soulskill on from the 60-percent?-that's-almost-80-percent! dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Like any popular platform, Android has malware. Google's mobile operating system is relatively new, however, so the problem is still taking form. In fact, it turns out that the larger majority of threats on Android come from a single malware family: Android.FakeInstaller, also known as OpFake, which generates revenue by silently sending expensive text messages in the background. McAfee says that the malware family makes up more than 60 percent of Android samples the company processes."

2 of 111 comments (clear)

  1. McAfee is trying hard to get into this market by Terry+Pearson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Meh...

    If you are not smart enough to install non-market Android apps, you have no problem.

    If you are smart enough to install non-market Android apps, you know what you are getting into.

    With great power comes great responsibility. I think these pieces keep surfacing because the Anti-Virus companies desperately need to get into this market. They see it is the future and they want a piece of it.

  2. Yet another reason SMS should die by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's 2012 - most phones can connect to a mail server over 2G, 3G or wifi.

    Why are we still messing around with a 140-character hack that belongs in the 1990s and which requires the recipient to be using a phone?

    Just send an e-mail.