Report Claims Android Is The Most Targeted By Malware

Malware, viruses, hacks; those are security issues that aren’t exactly new, but unfortunately it seems that some platforms are more affected than most. According to Nokia’s latest Threat Intelligence Report, it seems that they have discovered that Google’s Android platform is by far the most targeted by malware.

As you can see in the pie chart above, it shows the device breakdown for 2017 and based on that, Nokia’s report suggests that Android commands a whopping 68.5% of the chart when it comes to malware infections. The next biggest platform goes to Windows/PCs for 27.96%, while the rest goes to remaining devices such as the iPhone and presumably other platforms like Linux, Unix, Mac, etc.

According to Nokia, they believe Android is easily targeted due to the fact that apps can be easily side-loaded from third-party websites that don’t necessarily have the security measures in place that Google has for the Play Store.

“The main reason that the Android platform is targeted, is the fact that, once side-loading is enabled, Android applications can be downloaded from just about anywhere. Despite the very successful efforts by Google to ensure that the Play Store is malware free, Android users can continue to install apps by clicking on links in text messages and e-mail. In addition, in many regions third-party app stores have become the norm.”

Nokia’s findings seem to be in line with a recent report from Google themselves, who found that Google accounts tend to be hijacked most commonly through phishing. Unfortunately malware is something that will continue to exist, but being aware of what could get you infected probably goes a long way in preventing that.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Cellphones, Computers
Tags: Android, Hack, iOS, Malware, Nokia, Security, Windows