Mobile Malware Infected 32.8M Android Users in 2012

As smartphone use grows, it's likely that malware prevalence will follow suit, but according to a recent study from mobile service provider NQ Mobile, the spread of mobile malware is growing at an extreme rate.

The study, based on data from the company's Secure Labs covering 2012, states that general malware threats on mobile platforms grew 163 percent last year.

In total, there were over 65,000 identified, distinct forms of app repackaging, malicious URLs and SMS phishing in 2012, compared to just under 25,000 in 2011. The vast majority of this malware, nearly 95 percent, was aimed at Android devices.

It's only going to get worse, according to NQ, with more creative attacks on the horizon as well as greater pervasiveness. For example, security researchers in February identified a new type of malware capable of using an Android device to infect PCs when connected via USB. Currently, this attack method is limited to a few identified infected handsets, but its potential for damage is great if the method is improved upon.

The report goes on to add that, over the course of 2012, over 32.8 million Android devices were infected — up more than 200 percent from the previous year. Again, this goes hand in hand with smartphone growth as the Android device population continues to grow rapidly. Indeed, according to a recent study from ABI Research, there will be nearly 800 million active Android devices in the world by the end of this year, while there were only 300 million in early 2012.

Meanwhile, Android's risk of malware is exacerbated by users side loading apps and fragmentation as older versions of Android have weaker security than more recent ones.

The iPhone and other iOS devices are also at risk due to their popularity, but most other platforms — Windows Phone and BlackBerry, for example — are much less likely to see any significant targeted attacks.

Still, users should always practice common sense with their devices, only installing apps from trusted sources and maintaining basic security settings.