Apple marketing chief uses rare Twitter post to take shot at Android security issues
Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller made a rare appearance on Twitter on Thursday to ding the security situation on Google's Android mobile operating system, linking to a report showing that Android malware threats are on the rise.
Schiller took to Twitter on Thursday for just the 172nd time since opening his account in 2008, linking to F-Secure's Mobile Threat Report Q4 2012. Aside from providing the link, Schiller said only "Be safe out there."
The report looks at the risks for the assorted mobile platforms in the fourth quarter of last year, finding that 96 new families and variants of malware were discovered in the fourth quarter alone. Of these 21 threats were based on PremiumSMS, which sends out SMS messages to premium rate numbers or signs victims up to SMS-based subscription services.
Others operate through banking trojans, stealing users' mobile Transaction Authentication Numbers in order to transfer money from their accounts without their knowledge. One such malware, known as Eurograbber, took $47 million from over 30,000 retail and corporate accounts in Europe. That version, though, first installed itself on users' computers before tricking them into loading it onto their mobile devices.
The report attributes the rise in Android malware to the OS' increasing market share. The most recent market analyses peg Android at 70 percent of the global smartphone market. That leap in market share corresponds strongly with an increase in malware for the platform. Android malware now accounts for 79 percent of the 301 total families and variants discussed in the report. Similarly, the decline in market share of Nokia's Symbian platform has coincided with a drop in the number of new malware variants discovered for it.
Apple's iOS, despite accounting for 22 percent of all smartphones shipped worldwide, is apparently nowhere near as vulnerable as Android. While it is vulnerable to the occasional multiplatform threat, iOS-targeted threats accounted for only 0.7 percent of 2012 malware threats. The report found only two profit-motivated threats to the iOS platform in 2012, just one more than either BlackBerry or Windows Mobile.
Schiller took to Twitter on Thursday for just the 172nd time since opening his account in 2008, linking to F-Secure's Mobile Threat Report Q4 2012. Aside from providing the link, Schiller said only "Be safe out there."
The report looks at the risks for the assorted mobile platforms in the fourth quarter of last year, finding that 96 new families and variants of malware were discovered in the fourth quarter alone. Of these 21 threats were based on PremiumSMS, which sends out SMS messages to premium rate numbers or signs victims up to SMS-based subscription services.
Others operate through banking trojans, stealing users' mobile Transaction Authentication Numbers in order to transfer money from their accounts without their knowledge. One such malware, known as Eurograbber, took $47 million from over 30,000 retail and corporate accounts in Europe. That version, though, first installed itself on users' computers before tricking them into loading it onto their mobile devices.
The report attributes the rise in Android malware to the OS' increasing market share. The most recent market analyses peg Android at 70 percent of the global smartphone market. That leap in market share corresponds strongly with an increase in malware for the platform. Android malware now accounts for 79 percent of the 301 total families and variants discussed in the report. Similarly, the decline in market share of Nokia's Symbian platform has coincided with a drop in the number of new malware variants discovered for it.
Apple's iOS, despite accounting for 22 percent of all smartphones shipped worldwide, is apparently nowhere near as vulnerable as Android. While it is vulnerable to the occasional multiplatform threat, iOS-targeted threats accounted for only 0.7 percent of 2012 malware threats. The report found only two profit-motivated threats to the iOS platform in 2012, just one more than either BlackBerry or Windows Mobile.
Comments
This is the real Phil Schiller this time, right?
Isn't it obvious? There's more software for Android. /s
Wow, look at Android compared to everybody else!
Holy cow!
Android is out of control! It's off the charts!
I would never touch an Android device for the obvious reasons, such as poor OS, lag, terrible eco system, poor app selection, fragmentation, cheap hardware and all of the other usual reasons that everybody knows about, but these dangerous security flaws and threats just adds a whole new dimension as to why Android sucks so badly.
Android is the perfect phone for somebody who lives in emerging third world markets and has no bank account, no credit card and nothing of value at all to lose, so why would they care?
Anybody else who values their security and has more than $5 to their name would be smart to stay as far away from Android as possible.
Just looking at one year doesn't tell the whole truth and is something Apple haters can't dispute. Here's the chart from f-secure's 2011 report showing trends from several years. iOS malware is virtually nonexistent.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SockRolid
Let's see the Fandroids try to spin this news.
Same way they spin the "no viruses on a mac" as a negative.
"Smart people know how to protect themselves from spyware/malicious software/etc, so Macs are for stupids" or some other such horse-shit. In their deranged world, people actually want to install antivirus protection, etc on their phones.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
link to F-Secure's Mobile Threat Report Q4 2012.
The actual report is a very in depth document. Worth the read.
Android users deserve to have their bank accounts raped.
Do homeless people even have bank accounts?
Quote:
Originally Posted by monstrosity
Android users deserve to have their bank accounts raped.
They do indeed.
I don't know about Android users, but I value my info, and there is no way that I would put all of my personal info at risk just to save a buck or two. I'm talking about various bank account info, credit card info, trading firm info, email info, online retail info, various passwords etc............And somebody expects me to put all of that on an Android device, that is about as secure as a safe made out of cardboard?
I just completed a bank transfer earlier today on my iPad. No way in hell would I have ever done that on any Android device.
This out earlier in the week - IT security experts are leaving Android for iPhone because of security concerns. Firmware updates for Android phones can come six months later if you buy your Android from a carrier.
Who else but the real Schiller would claim that "Android malware threats are no the rise"?
nice spin, appleinsider... perhaps "Apple marketing chief uses rare Twitter post to highlight iOS security strength."
Let's hope that this is the start of a new approach to managing public relations from Apple.
I love it. More, Phil, more!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton
Who else but the real Schiller would claim that "Android malware threats are no the rise"?
that wasn't Schiller. that was Kevin Bostic...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apple
They do indeed.
I don't know about Android users, but I value my info, and there is no way that I would put all of my personal info at risk just to save a buck or two. I'm talking about various bank account info, credit card info, trading firm info, email info, online retail info, various passwords etc............And somebody expects me to put all of that on an Android device, that is about as secure as a safe made out of cardboard?
I just completed a bank transfer earlier today on my iPad. No way in hell would I have ever done that on any Android device.
I complete various banking transactions on a weekly basis on my Nexus 4, and have not had an issue to date (I've been using Android for a few years now).
All this report really says to me is what anyone using ANY platform should already know, which is to be smart about what you install on your phone.
No device is 100% secure, as most times, the user tends to be the weak link. Let's not forget this incident too quickly...
Originally Posted by 1stGenRex
Let's not forget this incident too quickly...
You could at least read the link. My stars.
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