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The rise of mobile malware

Recent reports indicate that mobile malware is on the rise. As more businesses and consumers migrate to phones and tablets, cybercriminals have followed the herd. Mobile malware attacks are growing in both quantity and complexity, and the challenges of managing security mean that hackers have a many modes of corruption at their fingertips.

Business Computing World security expert Chris Pace called mobile malware "the new frontier for cybercrime." Complex mobile malware threats are quite new, wrote Page - even in 2012, most attacks on mobile systems were of the "classic scam" variety. In 2013 spreaders of malware have begun to exploit devices dually used for work and personal life to bypass authentication processes and gain 'back door' access to company information.

Mobile malware: exploiting associated risks
A recent survey by the Anti-Phishing Working Group explained why the differences between mobile and PC usage naturally heighten security vulnerability.

The survey stated that while a mobile device is technically at no more risk for malware than a PC or laptop, its "associated risks" are the ones hackers use to their advantage. Some associated risks stem from the physical limitations of mobile devices - small screen size, easy to lose - while others accompany usage practices - like leaving the device on all the time or staying signed in to sites that store the device owner's confidential information. Malware that has infiltrated a phone operating on a 3G network can continue to take advantage of data streams and browser activity without having to crack the device repeatedly. Hackers are also able to exploit insecure SMS and WiFi connections.

The study also reported that the mobile malware market is rising, as bots and spamming tools command increasingly higher prices. As money continues to roll in, malware becomes more innovative, invasive and harder to detect.

Getting an SSL certificate is an important step to protecting your data across platforms.

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