Security Firm Claims 254,158 Android Apps are Malicious, Raising Mobile Malware Rates by 614%

The sheer success of Android, installed on a wide array of mobile and tablet devices, has placed the Google operating system in the clear sights of malware creators and hackers more so this year than ever before. In fact, an astounding 267,259 mobile apps, as reported by security firm Juniper, are malicious in their efforts to exploit security holes, trigger SMS Trojans, build botnets and steal private data.

By now, if you have read some of our previous reports on emerging Android malware, you should be aware of the growing threat of Android malware. The natural evolution that we are witnessing of the of PC-based threats and new mobile platform threats, it should not come as a surprise of how Juniper claims mobile malware rates have risen by a shocking 614% in a single year across all platforms.

Android malware, accounting for over 200,000 malicious apps currently in the wild, has become the choice target for many malware creators this year. Hundreds of non-Google app stores are showing up sharing Android apps that most users indulge in just because they may get something for free. Sometimes free isn't always "free" as many of these non-Google app stores are the main culprits of spreading Android malware-laced apps. Unlike the legitimate Google app store, Google Play, there is no oversight on these hodgepodge Android app stores on the Internet. Therefore, apps may come with all types of malware goodies embedded in them.

In looking at some of the specific types of apps laced with malware, Juniper discovered that 73% of the known malware threats in apps are Fake Installers or SMS Trojans. With Android making up 70% of the smartphone landscape and 900 million activations to date, malware creators have a vast field of crops for harvesting and injecting with their latest and greatest malware ingredient.

Creating other 'safe' Android apps stores, such as the potential of offering them on Amazon or other trusted sources, could help clean up the full landscape of malware-laced apps. Although, we still must deal with hundreds of other 3rd party Android app stores, which can easily share malware-laced apps.

Do you think Juniper's numbers are enough to scare you out of downloading any Android apps from 3rd party sites? Also, will Android malware ever get to a point where it surpasses PC malware threats on a global scale?