Mobile Virus Authors Expected to see Android Systems as a Growing Target

Google's Android mobile OS has been declared the fastest growing mobile platform according to recent reports, with over 160,000 Android devices being activated every day. This astronomical growth is credited to a friendly user interface and openness of the platform.

However, Android's openness has turned its online app store, Android Market, into a breeding ground for malicious applications capable of stealing sensitive user information from the mobile phones.

Back in July 2010, the Global Mobile Security Center of mobile security services provider NetQin Mobile reported the first spyware application had hit the Android Market. The 'Carrot App' was disguised as a calculator application that could calculate service tips for users. The malicious application was programmed to email transcripts of text messages sent and received on the phone after every one hour to the attacker, showing the sophistication of the spyware applications that are currently circulating on the Android mobile operating system.

Several other security firms have released warnings about certain spyware and malware apps that are disguised as legitimate applications in order to fool users. One such application reported by a security firm pretended to be a harmless media player for Android smartphones. In fact, it was a Trojan application that was used by hackers to make money by sending sending text messages to premium phone numbers without the knowledge of users.

During the recent Black Hat Security Conference, security firm Lookout unveiled that 29 percent of free applications available in the Android Market were capable of stealing user location at any given point of time while 8 percent of them can browse through users' contact list. Though most of the data collected by the applications are used for targeted advertising, it can also be used for malicious purposes.

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