Q1 Threats Go Mobile
Following the so-called “Year of Data Breaches,” the first quarter of 2012 veered away from attacks that led to data loss and, instead, focused on mobility. The mobile threat incidents we’ve seen in the first quarter remained true to one of 2012 predictions—Android-based smartphones will continue to be a likely target for cybercrime. Trend Micro, in fact, identified approximately 5,000 new malicious Android apps in just the first three months of the year most likely due to the increase of Android user base.
Advanced persistent threat (APT) campaigns like Luckycat continued to ensue aided by trends like consumerization and outsourcing as well as interacting with new technologies, platforms, and entities, which seemingly broadened the attack surface. Proving once again just how important data is, the Luckycat campaign attacked a diverse set of targets using a variety of malware.
As in the past, hard-to-resist social engineering lures played a huge role in getting victims, regardless of device, to click malicious links, download malware, or visit malicious sites. Interest in new platforms like Pinterest again proved that with popularity came notoriety.
The past three months have been rife with different kinds of threats with one common denominator—mobility. Simply put, going mobile opened up several opportunities for users and cybercriminals alike. Though it’s true that the rise of mobility is full of potential, the issue of security should always remain at the forefront.
To take a closer look at the security landscape in the first quarter, read our comprehensive report, “Security in the Age of Mobility”
Post from: TrendLabs | Malware Blog – by Trend Micro
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