Internet security specialist Trend Micro unveiled a set of solutions at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) convention designed to combat the unprecedented array of cyber-attacks that are threatening individuals and enterprises through mobile platforms.
The solutions, which include Safe Mobile WorkForce, Trend Micro Mobile Security and Mobile App Reputation, are designed to defend against fast-evolving, sophisticated threats and to provide IT administrators with greater control over corporate devices, as well as offer consumers an enhanced user experience.
“Mobile threats continue to grow in intensity and sophistication, and Trend Micro is committed to utilizing our proven expertise to address these challenges,” Eva Chen, CEO and co-founder of Trend Micro, said in a statement. “In 2014, mobile will become the attack vector of choice for cyber-criminals, as the number of Android threats alone is expected to climb to more than 3 million. As cloud-based applications and BYOD policies become mainstream, both employees’ and companies’ sensitive data are at risk. Our comprehensive solutions will keep this information safe without impeding the mobile experience.”
Mobile App Reputation is a mobile application evaluation service that identifies new and existing malware, verifies the reputations of mobile applications and provides threat defense during downloads.
The platform scans, blocks and identifies millions of hazardous apps from a variety of global online sources and already plays a role in detecting and thwarting malicious apps’ damage at the BlackBerry app store, BlackBerry World.
The company’s Mobile Security offering is a multi-platform security solution to secure users’ data and privacy on Google Android, Apple iOS and Amazon Kindle devices.
The platform provides secure Web browsing, privacy guidance for Facebook settings, threat protection and lost device protection, data backup and parental controls.
Safe Mobile WorkForce provides secure mobile access to corporate data from mobile devices and an improved user experience, while providing the mobile user data through a remote operating system delivered to their mobile device.
Trend Micro further identifies and blocks repackaged Android apps before they are sold on the BlackBerry World storefront. The Mobile App Reputation service identifies and flags potential threats as either malicious or high risk to prevent harm to devices and networks.
“Keeping our customers protected from security concerns, such as malware, remains a top priority at BlackBerry,” Scott Totzke, senior vice president for security at BlackBerry, said in a statement. “By leveraging Trend Micro’s app scanning capabilities with our comprehensive app vetting program, BlackBerry Guardian, we are providing customers with another layer of protection to help ensure that applications within our store are as safe as possible.”
In Trend Micro’s Mobile Threat Report for 2013, the company’s threat researchers reported that mobile threats are moving beyond apps and Android’s vulnerabilities and are inconsistent with industry standards, developing a less secure mobile ecosystem.
That year, TrendLabs researchers predicted that malicious and high-risk Android malware would exceed 1 million by the year’s end – a figure that took PC malware a decade to reach. TrendLabs now predicts that figure will reach 3 million in 2014.