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Published on Wednesday, 09 November 2011 00:00

Written by Unlocked Modem

Computer and mobile security firm McAfee says malware is on the rise with Android a prime target

Computer and mobile security firm McAfee has warned “no organisation,platform or device” is immune from malware attacks as it released its Q4 2011 Threats Report.

The report showed McAfee recorded an average of 9,300 bad web sites per day in Q4 2011 across all platforms, up from 6,500 per day in the previous quarter. Total recorded malware samples exceeded McAfee’s estimate of 75 million throughout 2011.

McAfee reckons the last quarter was “by far” the busiest it had seen for mobile related malware saying Android was fixed as the largest target for malware

writers.

It said the main contributor to the rise in mobile malware attacks was the rise of “rootkits” or “stealth malware” which are designed to evade detection and live on system for a prolonged period.

It said the rise of attacks on mobiles came as more people began to sue their smartphones for personal or business transactions, thus making information such as credit card details available to virus writers.

McAfee Labs senior vice president Vincent Weafer said: “The threat landscape continued to evolve in 2011, and we saw a significant shift in motivation for cyber attacks.

“Increasingly, we’ve seen that no organisation, platform or device is immune to the increasingly sophisticated and targeted threats.

“On a global basis, we are conducting more of our personal and business transactions through mobile devices, and this is creating new security risks and challenges in how we safeguard our commercial and personal data.”