Drawing attention to the scale of cybersecurity challenges that India currently faces, IT security solutions provider Quick Heal Technologies said that more than 631,000 threats were detected on Android devices of individuals and enterprise users across India between April and June 2018.
The top ten Android malware of Q2 2018 include Android.Smsreg.DA, Android.Airpush.J, and Android.Guerrilla.M, amongst others, which were propagated through third-party app stores. The PUA family comprised 46.2% of the total detections in the year, said the report from Quickheal.
The company said that what makes the latest Quick Heal data all the more alarming is the low awareness about the need for adequate security amongst mobile users. Most users install advance security software on their laptops and desktops but often neglect their mobile devices. This leaves a major gap in their overall security posture and presents a lucrative opportunity for cybercriminals. The increase in the number of mobile-based threats such as Banking Trojan and cryptomining attacks is indicative of a growing shift towards exploiting vulnerable mobile devices to compromise sensitive personal information of mobile users.
Sanjay Katkar, Joint Managing Director & Chief Technology Officer – Quick Heal Technologies, said, “While a growing number of people are now installing state-of-the-art security solutions on larger devices such as desktops and laptops, they often do not take mobile threats seriously. This is a major security loophole. Smartphones hold a lot of personal and financial information and are increasingly being used to transact online. They are also being used in BYOD-led workplaces to handle sensitive business data. The failure to install adequate mobile security puts all of this data at risk. This massive cybersecurity gap is what we are aiming to draw attention to with our latest Quarterly Threat Report.”
According to the report, the number of cryptomining malware hits in Q2 increased as compared to Q1. The report also highlighted the growing threat of Banking Trojans, which imitate popular social and banking apps used in India to gain access to security permissions on infected devices and steal users’ banking credentials.
