Android most targeted mobile OS
By Deborah Bates
24/08/2011
Android has officially been named as the "most attacked" mobile operating system (OS) in the world, having been subject to the most hacking attempts in quarter two of 2011.
In fact, two-thirds of mobile malware released during this time targeted Android devices, according to ITpro.co.uk.
With mobile devices increasingly being used within remote systems management processes, companies should take note of the news and re-examine how secure their systems actually are, to avoid being hacked.
Blackberry and Symbian were also key targets of mobile hackers, as was Java ME - the second most-commonly targeted system. Windows Phone 7 and iOS appeared to be fairly safe, as neither were listed by McAfee in its latest research report.
The report itself issued a stark warning, cited by Signalnews.com, which read: "This increase in threats to such a popular platform should make us evaluate our behaviour on mobile devices and the security industry's preparedness to combat this growth."
However, Trend Micro - an anti-virus software manufacturer - suggested that although Android users should be aware, they shouldn't panic.
A spokesperson for the firm, Paul Oliveria, confirmed this on Itpro.co.uk: "Our researchers opine that we have yet to reach a tipping point where malware becomes the biggest security issue for Android-based device users."
