The new G DATA Mobile Malware Report shows that malicious Android apps are available every second. The cyber defense company identified more than two million infected Android apps in the first half of 2020.
Cyber criminals publish an Android app with malware every eight seconds. That is the result of a current study by G DATA CyberDefense. Compared to the first half of 2019, an increase of over ten percent. The focus was particularly on fake corona trackers and droppers.
Criminal hackers also attacked smartphones during the Corona crisis and tried to install malware on the devices. Current figures from G DATA CyberDefense show that a new Android app containing malware is published every eight seconds. One scam: Fake corona trackers. But hidden behind the practical overview with infection numbers in real time, users download adware or, in the worst case, even ransomware onto their mobile device.
Danger: Smartphone is also a professional communication center
"During the pandemic, the smartphone has once again become more important as a digital helper in everyday life," says Tim Berghoff, Security Evangelist at G DATA CyberDefense. “More people have used the option of contactless payment with their smartphone. The smartphone is also a professional communication center, a connection to friends and relatives and also a payment terminal. Good protection is therefore extremely important. "
In the first six months of the year, G DATA's mobile security specialists were able to identify more than two million Android apps with malware, and thus an average of more than 11.000 apps per day. Cyber criminals are also increasingly relying on so-called droppers for mobile malware. Behind this is an installation file for an Android app. Only in the second step is a malicious “Android Package” reloaded and installed. This is how attackers protect the malicious code from detection. Because this is usually very complex to manufacture and therefore expensive. Another advantage: the malicious apps can be tailored to different target groups, for example as a game or as an app for photo editing. Children in particular are particularly at risk here, as security experts have shown several times. Among other things, the mobile Fortnite version was affected. The harmful component remains the same, only the shell changes. These apps are distributed quite legally via app stores. Security experts have also identified dangerous apps in Google's Play Store, although this is often the safest alternative.
Cheap smartphones including dangerous Android apps
Cheap smartphones remain problematic. Because the supposed bargains are very popular with certain target groups such as elementary school children or the grandparents' generation as entry-level devices. The problem with this: Smartphones are repeatedly being sold on which malicious apps have already been pre-installed or the operating system has been manipulated. Immediately after commissioning, they lead a life of their own: They install apps overnight or send SMS. It is not always the manufacturer who installs malware on the smartphone. During the shipping process or at the middleman, criminals use the opportunity to manipulate the devices. The problem: the malware is often deeply integrated into the firmware. Removing these is time-consuming and complex - it is not possible without specialist knowledge: If you do not trust yourself to manually load new firmware onto the device directly from the manufacturer, you should buy a new device. The old device should be disposed of properly and reset beforehand.
A sure sign of a smartphone with malware is high battery consumption. Because in the background criminals carry out actions with which they earn money. “Another characteristic is that the banking app cannot be installed,” says Stefan Decker, mobile researcher at G DATA CyberDefense. “An up-to-date virus scanner is part of the basic equipment for every cell phone. It protects users from unpleasant surprises from malicious apps. "
Necessary: prudent handling of the data
The dangers for smartphones will continue to increase. Because mobile devices have become an indispensable part of everyday life and take on many functions in our lives. Users entrust the digital helpers with a lot of personal data that requires special protection. A prudent handling of the data is definitely part of this, as is careful handling of the passwords for the apps on the device.
More on this at GData.de