Mobile security company Lookout has published its State of Mobile Security 2012 report, warning that web-based threats remain the most prevalent threat to consumers. It’s calculated that four in ten people are likely to encounter a web-based security threat in a year.
The risk of mobile malware infection is affected dramatically by a user’s location, according to Lookout. 41.6% of new Lookout users in Russia had malware on their phone in June 2012, compared with 0.04% in Japan. Most of the malware detection in Eastern Europe and Russia is the result of a single ‘family’ of malicious software - codenamed FakeInst - which causes victims to be billed through premium SMS services.
Customers who download apps that don’t come from well-established trusted sources, such as Google Play, are also at much greater risk of malware infection.
Lookout warns that mobile threats are evolving, with fraudsters adapting legitimate mobile tools and hijacking advertising systems to achieve broader distribution. Mobile privacy, both in terms of insecure personal information and aggressive advertising, is also a growing issue.
[Full report]