Malware

Phil Schiller points to new mobile security report criticizing Android

Cody Lee ∙ January 21, 2014

Phil Schiller doesn’t tweet very often. But when he does, he tends to make good use of his 115,000+ followers. Early last year the executive tweeted a link to an Android-slamming mobile malware report, and today he's pointed to another report that highlights Android's security flaws.

This afternoon, Schiller tweeted a link to Cisco's 2014 Annual Security Report, which was released last week. The report notes that overall vulnerabilities are the highest they've ever been (since tracking began in 2000), and that 99% of all mobile malware is targeted at Android devices...

Google’s Eric Schmidt says Android is more secure than the iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ October 8, 2013

Back in August, an unclassified US government report on mobile security surfaced with data showing the various malware threats discovered on different platforms. And Android took the top spot, accounting for nearly 80% of all threats.

With that in mind, it's not surprising that Eric Schmidt garnered some laughs yesterday during a question-and-answer session at the Gartner Symposium, when he said that the Android platform was more secure than Apple's iPhone...

FBI and DHS label Android primary malware target

Ed Sutherland ∙ August 26, 2013

A number of Android security problems pose a threat to law enforcement officers using the Google mobile operating software.

According to an unclassified government report, 44 percent of Android users continue to use older versions of the software, opening themselves to numerous security threats, including malware infestation and malicious text messages.

According to the report, obtained from a group promoting public access to government data, Android is the "primary target" of security attacks, with 79 percent of threats...

iOS 7 includes fix for malicious charger exploit

Cody Lee ∙ August 1, 2013

Back in June, a group of researches discovered a flaw in iOS that would theoretically allow an iOS device to be hacked using a malicious USB charger. Their proof-of-concept allowed them to invisibly install malware on non-jailbroken iPhones and iPads.

The results of the experiment were called 'alarming,' and brought to the attention of Apple in hopes for a quick fix. The Cupertino company must have gotten the message, because according to a new report, the exploit has been patched in the latest iOS 7 beta...

Malware infestation running amok on Android

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

It's not the sort of recognition any smartphone maker wants, but Android appears to be the platform of choice for nine out of ten mobile malware authors. The growth of malware apps targeting users of Google's mobile operating system rose an unbeliavable 614 percent in just the last year, author's of a new study found.

Perhaps even more discouraging is three-quarters of the mobile malware could easily be eliminated through software updates, yet ignored by 96 percent of Android owners. As for Apple's iOS, it's nowhere to be found on the malware hit-list, an area in which Apple is happy to hand to rivals...

Proof-of-concept charger can install malware on iDevices in less than 60 seconds

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 3, 2013

Unlike the malware-infested Android, Apple's mobile platform is mostly malware-free. Little wonder that Apple prides itself with reviewing apps "to guard against malware" while asserting that other mobile platforms pose a "security risk".

But what if malicious users could hack your iPhone via a specially built charger - and in less than a minute? That's exactly what three researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology claim is possible as they prep to show off a proof-of-concept charger which can be used to invisibly install malware on non-jailbroken iOS devices...

Apple choice of 58% enterprises, Android choice of 97% malware

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

A pair of reports issued yesterday really put the growth of mobile in perspective. Currently, the mobile landscape is dominated by two players - Apple's iOS and Google's Android.

While Apple is increasingly favored by companies big and small, Android has become the go-to vector for mobile malware, it seems.

Attacks involving mobile devices has risen dramatically in the space of just one year, skyrocketing to more than 36,000 instances in 2012, up from only 792 cases, according to a security research firm.

Meanwhile, large companies are adopting Apple devices at a faster clip than Android, according to another report...

Report: Malware targeting Russian smartphones 40 times more than US

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated February 22, 2018

All smartphones are not created equal -- at least in the eyes of malware authors. A smartphone in Russia is 40 times as likely to be infected by malware than the same iPhone or Android handset in the U.S., according to security researchers.

Product manager Derek Halliday of mobile security expert Lookout tells All Things Digital the 40-to-1 difference represents "a pretty massive gulf."

Windows malware found embedded in App Store app

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

It looks like Apple's App Store troubles aren't over with quite yet. A new report is out this afternoon claiming that Windows malware has been discovered in an Apple-approved iOS app.

Instaquotes Quotes-Cards for Instagram, a third-party title that crawls the popular photo sharing service in search of Image Quotes, is said to contain an old made-for-Windows worm...

Apple to present at Black Hat Security Conference for the first time

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Black Hat Security Conference is underway at Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas and Apple is planning to present for the first time in the event's fifteen-year history. Warming up to hackers, the iPhone maker dispatched Dallas De Atley, its Manager of the Platform Security team, to talk iOS security.

According to the conference agenda, De Atley will "discuss key security technologies in iOS" as "Apple designed the iOS platform with security at its core". Apple's decision to take part in the conference coincides with a few security breaches in its mobile and desktop operating systems that routinely make headlines in the press.

Some of the recent examples include the widely reported IAP exploit and Mac malware that prompted Apple to step up its game with the new Gatekeeper feature in OS X Mountain Lion, designed to only allow for approved, signed apps from the Mac App Store...

Android Malware Up a Shy 472% Since Last Summer

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 25, 2016

For years, security firms have agreed that iOS is one of the most secure mobile platforms in existence. Apple's stringent app approval process and the limited API access it gives to third party developers has proven effective in keeping iOS safe from malware.

Google takes the exact opposite approach with its Android operating system. And while that's proven effective in drawing in iOS defectors who don't appreciate Apple's 'walled garden' of an operating system, it also leaves its users susceptible to malicious software...

Hacker Uncovers Serious iOS Security Flaw

Cody Lee ∙ November 7, 2011

If there's one thing about iOS that even the skeptics can agree on, it's how much more secure it is than Android. Several security firms have found that Apple's mobile platform has far less malware than its Google-backed competitor.

The reason behind this is Apple's "walled garden" approach it takes with app approvals. Applications are thoroughly screened and must meet certain criteria before they are allowed in the App Store. That hasn't stopped one hacker extraordinaire from finding a really nasty bug...