Android gets nearly 5,000 new strains of malware per day

Analytics firm G DATA has new data about malware in Android. In its Q1 2015 Mobile Malware report, it explains that almost half a million new strains were discovered from January to the end of March. To put that into perspective, this means that a new strain appears every 18 seconds, which equates to about 5,000 a day.

Supposedly, Android apps allow for easier access than their iOS counterparts. Indeed, if that is true (and it probably is), it is easy to see why Android is more likely to catch the attention of hackers. TechSpot adds that a recent study by Pulse Secure suggests that around 97% of this malware targets Google’s OS. This is 6.4% higher than for Q4 2014 and almost 21% higher than Q1 2014.

Online banking and online retail only compound the problem. According to G DATA, since about 78% of internet users shop through sites and about 50% use their mobile devices for online banking, hackers are more likely to create subscription hacks, ransomware, and remote money transfers scams.

Although the numbers might be surprising, the reality is not. There is a reason why there is such a vast selection of anti-virus and anti-malware apps on Google Play. As a precaution, it’s a good idea to read reviews of some of these and choose an option, if you have not yet done so.

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