‘Android users vulnerable to malware, cyber threats in 2012’

Owners of mobile devices operating on Google’s Android will be vulnerable to malware and cyber threats in 2012, according to a cyberthreat forecast for this year. Cyberthreat Forecast for 2012, by Kaspersky Lab, an antivirus firm, indicated that virus writers will focus heavily on creating malware targeting Google Android in 2012. "The dramatic growth in malicious programmes for Android in the second half of 2011 saw Google’s operating system rank first among mobile platforms in terms of the number of threats, and there is little to suggest that the virus writers will shift their focus in the near future," said the forecast, e-mailed to The Jordan Times on Thursday. Attacks in 2012 against mobile operating systems will not only seek to gain access to the system, but will be focused on infecting the operating system itself, which will lead to mobile drive-by-download attacks, a matter that will cause an increase in the number of malicious programmes uploaded by cybercriminals to app stores, especially the Android market, the forecast indicated. In 2012, there is a high probability that the first mass worm for Android will appear that is capable of spreading itself via text messages and sending out links to itself at some online app stores, according to Kaspersky Lab. "It is also likely to see the first mobile botnet on the same platform, which means we are likely to face a full-blown mobile malware industry next year," the forecast said. Mahmoud Kurdi, a cyber security expert, said Android users in Jordan are more likely to be victims of viruses than users of other operating systems. "There is a trend worldwide that cybercriminals are focusing on targeting devices operating Android systems. In Jordan, Android devices are gaining popularity and are expected to lead in the market over the next few years. Therefore, users of this system might be victims of malware," he told The Jordan Times on Thursday. "Android is unlike other operating systems, as developers can add to and develop it, so it is easier for cybercriminals to attack it," Kurdi explained. Android is an open-source platform backed by Google and Samsung, along with major hardware and software developers such as Intel, HTC, ARM and Motorola, according to web sources. "Mobile espionage will become widespread and will most probably include data theft from mobile phones and the tracking of people using their telephones and geolocation services," said a statement released by Kaspersky Lab. According to a recent report by the Arab Advisers Group, the Symbian platform, which is mainly used in Nokia phones, currently leads smartphone operating systems in Jordan with a 62 per cent share, followed by iOS and BlackBerry OS in second place and Android in third. But by 2012, Android is expected to account for 49 per cent of the smartphone market across the world, according to the technology research firm Gartner, Inc. The Kaspersky Lab report indicated that Symbian operating system, which was the most popular platform among users and virus writers for a long time, is currently losing ground on the mobile operating systems' market and even among cybercriminals. The Symbian platform is not expected to see significant amounts of malware in 2012, the report indicated.