Virus threat on smartphones to rise in 2013: Trend Micro

Mobile security firm Trend Micro has warned that the threat from viruses on smartphones will increase in 2013.

The Cambridge-based firm said, threats to smartphones, particularly those running on Android, are now similar to those on a Personal Computer.

According to the firm, malware targeting Android increased nearly sixfold in Q3 (July to September), up from around 30,000 “malicious” and potentially “dangerous” applications to more than 175,000.

Risks include espionage to gain private information from the phone, aggressive advertising which cannot be removed and spam.

The firm predicts that next year viruses will be able to feed information from the likes of banking applications, putting customers at great financial risk.

Rik Ferguson, Director of security research, Trend Micro, says the challenge lies around raising awareness, as mobile users are still unwilling to accept there is a threat to their phones.

The number of malicious and high-risk Android apps, expected to reach at least 350,000 by the end of 2012, will increase threefold in 2013, broadly in line with predicted growth of the Operating System itself, said the report by Trend Micro.