Smartphones were the hardest devices hit in a year that saw mobile malware infections hit an all-time high, Nokia revealed in its latest Threat Intelligence Report.
According to the report, which covered the second half of 2016, infections in smartphones increased 83 percent from the first six months of the year, rising from 0.49 percent in the first half to hit an average rate of 0.90 percent in the most recent period. That infection rate hit 1.35 percent of devices in October – the highest level recorded by Nokia since reporting began in 2012.
The company’s report found the number of smartphone malware attacks also increased by nearly 400 percent in 2016.
Credit: Nokia, Threat Intelligence Report, 2H 2016
Nokia found Android devices continued to be the most commonly targeted, accounting for a whopping 81 percent of infected devices. Windows and PC devices accounted for another 15 percent of infected devices, while Apple’s iPhone and other mobile devices accounted for 4 percent of infected devices.
The report indicated Nokia has found nearly 12 million Android malware samples, and noted malware for that platform has grown 95 percent over the previous year. But iOS-based devices were also targeted, particularly by Spyphone applications, Nokia said. Additionally, researchers found some phones that received firmware updates from Shanghai ADUPS Technology Co. were sending private information and the content of SMS text messages to ADUPS operated servers.
But smartphones weren’t the only devices at risk.
Nokia noted the Mirai botnet swept through Internet of Things devices to conduct massive DDoD attacks in September and October. The company said the attacks highlight how vulnerable the IoT is to exploitation.
“The security of IoT devices has become a major concern,” Kevin McNamee, head of the Nokia Threat Intelligence Lab, observed. “The Mirai botnet attacks last year demonstrated how thousands of unsecured IoT devices could easily be hijacked to launch crippling DDoS attacks. As the number and types of IoT devices continue to proliferate, the risks will only increase.”
Nokia’s full Threat Intelligence Report can be found here.
