Fiction Becomes Reality: Android Devices Compromised
By Netqin Mobile Inc., PRNEThursday, August 12, 2010
BEIJING, August 13, 2010 - A few months ago, the Android Market was opened to allow anyone to load
software onto the Android Market. Later, studies show that an average of one
in every five applications had access to personal information on the
respected device. This could lead to all sorts of viruses, spyware, and
malware being created to attack users. Reasons for the creation of such
programs could vary beyond one's wildest imagination. A vast majority of them
probably do it for some sort of economic incentives, while others do it for
the thrill of other people's misfortunes.
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In July, 2010, the Global Mobile Security Center of NetQin Mobile Inc., a
global leading mobile security service provider, found the first spyware
application –"Carrot App"– available on the Android operating system. The
application disguises itself as a calculator that calculates service tips for
the end user. In actuality, the application would have been installed by
someone else and set up to send an email once every hour to the installer's
email address. The email would contain all the SMS that were sent and
received from that phone over the past hour. This is one of many ways an
application could be created to leak out personal information of the actual
user of the device. Since the finding, NetQin has increased their virus
database to ensure full security against such programs.
Recently, several other mobile security firms also detected malicious
software in the wild. Amongst these malicious applications is a media player
which claims to be harmless, but is really a Trojan horse that begins to send
text messages to premium-rate phone numbers, without the owner's knowledge,
which would result in money passing from the user's account to that of a
cyber criminal.
Approximately 18,600 Android-based applications were created in July
2010, which was a huge increase compared with the 1669 that were created in
July last year. According to the study of mobile users in the USA by Nielsen
Wire, a research company, "Google's Android OS has shown the most significant
expansion in market share among current subscribers." With the above said,
virus authors are expected to see Android systems as a growing target.
NetQin Mobile Inc. is global leading mobile security service provider
with more than 55 million users worldwide. A recent report from research
company, Frost & Sullivan, stated that NetQin holds ~65% market share of
China mobile security market with 35 million users in China by June 2010.
About NetQin
Founded in Beijing in 2005 and backed by leading venture capital firms
like Sequoia, Mayfield and Fidelity, NetQin delivers complete mobile security
solutions based on "Cloud" security platform, including anti-virus,
anti-spam, privacy protection and online virus scan service, to over 55
million users worldwide. As a leading player in mobile security, NetQin holds
64% market share in China, and has received multiple industry awards,
including the 2009 China Frost & Sullivan Award for Mobile Security Market
Leadership.
Extensive partnership has accelerated the growth of NetQin. The company
is the only partner providing anti-spamming service to China Mobile, and is a
close partner of China Unicom. As an important partner to Nokia, NetQin
products are preloaded on all S60 devices sold in China. NetQin products also
preloaded on Sony-Ericsson smart-phones sold in China and Korea. NetQin works
closely with Huawei mobile software, and has also been recognized as a
platinum partner of the Symbian Foundation.
For more information, please visit www.netqin.com .
Linda Liu, NetQin Mobile Inc. Tel: +86-10-8565-5555 Email: liuyan@netqin.com
Linda Liu, +86-10-8565-5555, liuyan at netqin.com
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