Cybercriminals continue to improve new techniques to deceive users and their malware targets not just big organizations but also personal consumers. Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) revealed over two million mobile malware were detected by Kaspersky Lab worldwide in the first quarter of 2016, 11 times greater than in the fourth quarter of 2015.
In the first quarter of 2016, Kaspersky Lab detected 2,045,323 malicious installation packages. The number of new mobile ransomware, meanwhile, increased 1.4 times, from 1,984 in the last quarter of 2015, to 2,895 in the first quarter of 2016.
Data from KSN also revealed that adware is the leading mobile malware during the first three months of 2016. The share of adware in overall mobile threats in Q1 was 42.7 percent, a 13 percentage point increase compared to the previous quarter.
Adware is a form of potentially unwanted software that displays advertisements and collects information about the user’s behavior. Sometimes, an adware may come attached to free applications or free programs.
The second leading mobile malware was SMS Trojan (20.5%). It was also the second quarter in a row that Kaspersky Lab has seen a growth in the share of detections of this type of mobile malware.
The SMS Trojan steals money by sending text messages from mobile device to premium rate phone numbers.
Trojan spyware programs, with a 10% share, were right behind the SMS Trojans. These programs steal the user’s personal data, including incoming messages (mTANs) from banks, by spying on user’s device.
RiskTool software, or legal applications that are potentially dangerous to users, had occupied the first and second position in this rating for nearly two years. However, since the last quarter of 2015 it fell to fifth place. In 2014, its share was 5.6%, and in Q1 2016 its share was 7.4%.
Nearly 2-in-10 Filipinos Attacked with Mobile Malware in Q1 2016
While China still has the highest number of detected mobile malware infections for Q1 2016, the Philippines is now the 7th most attacked country in terms of this type of cyberthreat.
Data from KSN revealed that 15.7% or almost two in every 10 Kaspersky Lab security solutions users in the Philippines faced a mobile threat during the first quarter of the year. This is a huge jump from its recorded mobile threats during the third quarter of 2015 which was 5.1% to 10% only.
“With 119 million Filipino mobile phone subscribers, it is not surprising that the Philippines is now among the top 10 most attacked countries with mobile malware among 213 nations included in Kaspersky Security Network. The main goal of cybercriminals is to earn and with millions of active smartphone users in the country, the Philippines is like an overflowing pot of gold,” said Anthony Chua, territory channel manager for the Philippines and Singapore at Kaspersky Lab Southeast Asia.
Chua added that they are publishing these numbers “to encourage awareness and not to cast fear. It is high time for Filipino mobile users to think about security. Protect your mobile devices not because of dread for the cybercriminals’ stealthy attacks. Do it for yourself, to secure your data, your privacy and your money. Because once your devices are infected, you will be the biggest losers and the online criminals the highest gainers.”
Also in the top 10 are Bangladesh (28%), Uzbekistan (21%), Algeria (17.6), Nigeria (17.4%), India (17.0%), Indonesia (15.6%), Ukraine (15.0%) and Malaysia (14.0%). All countries in the top ten list except China are attacked mostly by Adware.
The safest countries, meanwhile, were Taiwan (2.9%), Australia (2.7%) and Japan (0.9%).
