No security risks are greater for mobile devices than those posed by applications, according to Rob Smith, chief technology officer of Mobile Active Defense (M.A.D.)
Infosecurity.Com - “App stores are the greatest malicious software delivery method ever invented”, Smith told Infosecurity. “There have been an unbelievable number of examples of applications that are available for both Android and iOS that either are malware or behave differently than advertised”, he added.Smith observed that most people believe app stores are safe because they come from a trusted source. “Today, anybody can sign up for 100 bucks and write their own application. Nobody is vetting who these application writers are….I could write an application for Android and have it for sale an hour later.”
Just last month, Google removed 55 apps from its Android Market after tens of thousands of users downloaded applications that were infected by the DroidDream trojan. The list of infected Android applications included Chess, Super Guitar Solo, Bowling Time, Super History Eraser, and Photo Editor.
“Apple doesn’t get the same publicity and so people believe that Apple is safe”, Smith said. “But no one can actually tell you an app that is behaving good today will behave good tomorrow”, he added. Read More
