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A decade of mobile malware: Worst threats and the current environment

A decade ago, the first mobile malware sample was discovered, ushering in a brand new infection age for cybercriminals. According to ITWire, Kaspersky lab uncovered Cabir, the first mobile malware strain ever seen, which targeted the Symbian operating system.

Since this discovery, mobile malware has expanded and developed, both in its infection capabilities and sheer number of samples, creating a dangerous and impactful environment for smartphone, tablet and laptop users. Especially with the more recent BYOD trend, mobile malware can have quite the effect on individual users and businesses across the globe.

To celebrate this unhappy mobile malware birthday, let's take a look back at some of the most damaging malware samples to ever hit mobile platforms, as well as the state of the current threat landscape.

Worst mobile malware samples
Within the past decade, a countless number of mobile malware samples have been created by cybercriminals, each with its own unique characteristics. However, the aim of these strains is usually the same: to infect the endpoint and harvest as much sensitive information as possible. This data - which can include everything from a person's bank account information to a company's client list - is typically copied or stolen outright and sold on underground marketplaces. However, just how hackers go about taking this information differs depending on the malware sample.

According to Tribune Media, one of the worst strains in the mobile arena is the Gemini Trojan, which hackers have attached to more than 30 apps thus far. This attack style involves piggy-backing off legitimate apps and games, which distributes the malware throughout the device upon download. This malware allows hackers to access the user's texts, contact list, and location information. Cybercriminals can also carry out remote actions on the device, including downloading other dangerous files and sending expensive SMS messages.

Another mobile malware sample leveraged the popularity of the classic "snake" game seen on many mobile phones before the smartphone age. This malware-laced entertainment app enables hackers to track GPS information on the infected device, as well as download GPS Spy, a program that steals other information from the device.

Today's mobile malware environment
According to Kaspersky Lab, the typical users experienced three infection attempts on their mobile devices last year. The current mobile malware landscape is much more dangerous than that of a decade ago, as almost 145,000 new samples were found in 2013 alone. Of these, more than 98 percent were aimed at the Android platform.

Overall, mobile device users must be cautious and protect their endpoints against mobile malware.

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