Security Horizon: Mobile Malware Up, U.S.-Based Infections Down

Security Horizon: Mobile Malware Up, U.S.-Based Infections Down

by Sean Michael Kerner

Mobile Malware Rises

According to Kaspersky, mobile malware continued to grow in 2013, particularly during the last half of the year. However, PC malware is a significantly larger problem, with more than 315,000 malware samples analyzed every day.

Trojans: Most Popular Form of Mobile Malware

While the volume of mobile malware is growing, most mobile malware takes on some form of Trojan behavior, according to Kaspersky.

Android Malware Families Are Diverse

According to Sophos, no single Android malware family dominates the landscape. The current leader is malware identified by Sophos as Andr/BBridge-A, which only represents 9 percent of all Android malware detections.

Blackhole Loses Exploit Kit Crown

According to Sophos, the exploit kit landscape shifted in 2013, with 2012 champ Blackhole falling in popularity. Neutrino currently leads the pack of easy-to-use packaged exploit kits, with a 24 percent market share.

Ransomware and ZeroAccess: Top Exploit Kit Payloads

The exploit kits take advantage of known vulnerabilities on a user’s system and then deploy a payload. According to Sophos, the top two payloads in 2013 were ransomware at 29 percent, followed by ZeroAccess at 24 percent.

ZeroAccess Infected Thousands in the U.S.

The ZeroAccess malware helped create the ZeroAccess botnet, which was used by criminals for click fraud as well as illicit Bitcoin mining operations. Working with law enforcement, Microsoft was able to disrupt the operations of the ZeroAccess botnet in December.

Java: Most Attacked App

According to Kaspersky’s data, just over 90 percent of the attacks seen by their products in 2013 targeted Oracle’s Java. 2013 was a banner year for Java attacks; a November report from Kaspersky found 14.1 million Java exploits from September 2013 to August of 2013.

U.S.: A Leading Source of Malware

Although Malware can come from any machine anywhere in the world, according to Kaspersky, some places in the world are more likely to host malware than others. Currently, the U.S is the top source for malware, leading the world with just over a 25 percent share.

U.S: No Longer a Top Malware Infection Country

Though a top source in the world for malware, the U.S doesn’t crack the top 20 list for countries with the highest risk of computer infection, Kaspersky said. The U.S in 2013 fell to 25th place in the world, compared with third place in 2010.