A study by Juniper Networks has shown that there has been a massive increase in Malware infections on Android devices since last summer.
What does this mean? It means our beloved Android devices are at a much higher risk from attack from malicious applications installed from the Android Market and other alternatives.
Dan Hoffman, Juniper’s chief mobile security evangelist has stated that:
“The studies reflect a perfect storm of users who are uneducated – or disinterested – on security, and who are downloading readily available applications from unknown and unvetted sources in the complete absence of mobile device security.”
Furthermore, he said the process of app stores actively removing applications that are tagged as malicious after they have been downloaded by thousands of users is an insufficient control.
“Both enterprises and consumers alike need to be aware of the growing risks associated with the convenience of having the Internet in the palm of your hand”
So what can we do? Well as most of us use our Smartphones as an alternative to a PC when we are out and about, treat it the same way and invest in an antivirus/antimalware app. They are available, and although there may be a cost they will help keep you and your Smartphone safe.
We at the Gadget Helpline use Anti-Virus Free which is supplied by AVG Mobilation and can be downloaded from the Android Marketplace, but try some out for yourself and let us know your findings in the comments below or on our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page.