The timing could not have been more appropriate: June 2013, the sixth month of the year 2013. In this sixth month, experts at G Data Security Labs have seen a landmark for evil surpassed – more than 666,666 unique mobile malware programs for the Android platform have now been amassed in their database. And this number can be expected to continue increasing fast.
Just three years ago, Android malware was still in its infancy and attacks on mobile phones were rare. But the risk to users has grown constantly, especially as a result of the rapid take-up of Android smartphones and tablets. Malware code developed from annoying joke apps into money collecting apps, root malware, mTAN spyware, advertising distributors etc – in other words, into an increasingly serious nuisance for digital vagrants!