Kaspersky Lab’s report ‘Mobile Malware Evolution 2018’ revealed that the number of mobile malware attacks doubled in 2018 as cybercriminals sharpen their distribution strategies
The report added that there were 116.5mn attacks in 2018, compared to 66.4mn in 2017, with a significant increase in unique users being affected.
Despite more devices being attacked, the number of malware files has decreased; leading researchers to conclude that the quality of mobile malware has become more impactful and precise.
In 2018, this figure rose from the previous year by 774,000 to 9,895,774 affected users.
The most significant growth was the use of Trojan-Droppers, whose share nearly doubled from 8.63 per cent to 17.21 per cent. This type of malware is designed to bypass system protection and deliver all kinds of malware, from banking Trojans to ransomware.
Viсtor Chebyshev, a security expert at Kaspersky Lab, said, “In 2018, mobile device users faced what could have been the fiercest cybercriminal onslaught ever seen. Over the course of the year, we observed both new mobile device infection techniques, such as DNS hijacking, along with an increased focus on enhanced distribution schemes, like SMS spam.”
“This trend demonstrates the growing need for mobile security solutions to be installed on smartphones – to protect users from device infection attempts, regardless of the source,” he added.
Four African countries made the list in terms of top 10 countries by share of users attacked by mobile malware – Nigeria in third place at 37.72 per cent, Algeria in fifth place (35.06 per cent), Tanzania in eighth place (31.34 per cent) and Kenya in ninth place with 29.72 per cent.
