PRESS RELEASE

Berlin, July 10, 2013 - Android is by far the most popular operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones or tablet PCs. But that status also means opportunities for cyber criminals: in 2012 alone, the amount of malware specifically targeting Android users jumped from 17,000 to more than 214,000 samples each month. And malware is no longer being smuggled into the system via app downloads only; mobile e-mail use also offers an easy target. One particularly popular trend is to send links via hacked e-mail accounts leading to seemingly secure mobile Web sites. These sites, though, automatically forward users to subpages that use invisible iframes to scan the precise version of the operating system being used, introduce updates, and enable long-term access to sensitive user data (these are so called multifunction Trojans).

The Eleven Research Team offers its six most basic tips for protecting users from such attacks: