{"id":3274,"date":"2013-08-27T12:34:31","date_gmt":"2013-08-27T16:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nccomputertech.com\/?p=3274"},"modified":"2013-08-27T12:34:31","modified_gmt":"2013-08-27T16:34:31","slug":"millions-of-android-users-vulnerable-to-security-threats-say-feds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2013\/08\/27\/millions-of-android-users-vulnerable-to-security-threats-say-feds\/","title":{"rendered":"Millions of Android users vulnerable to security threats, say feds"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Android remains the world’s most widely used operating system, based on market and usage share statistics, used by hundreds of millions of customers worldwide.
\nBut, according to a new document obtained by Public Intelligence, the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are increasingly aware of the threats its law enforcement users and officials face at a federal, state, and local level in using older versions of the mobile platform.
\nRead this
\nAndroid app malware rates jump 40 percent
\nAndroid app malware rates jump 40 percent
\nA new report released by Trend Micro says that mobile malware rates are skyrocketing.
\nRead more
\nAccording to the roll call release \u2014 marked as unclassified but “for official use only,” and designed for police, fire, emergency medical services (EMS) and security personnel \u2014 upwards of 44 percent of Android users worldwide are still using Android versions 2.3.3 to 2.3.7, which still contain security vulnerabilities fixed in later versions.
\nThe document does not state, however, how many U.S. government staff use Android, let alone older versions of Android, on its networks.
\nAndroid continues to be a “primary target for malware attacks due to its market share and open source architecture,” the document says, and an uptick in mobile device use by government users “makes it more important than ever to keep mobile [operating systems] patched and up-to-date.”
\nAs many will know, staying ahead of the Android security curve requires actively ditching existing handsets and buying a new device, particularly in a bring-your-own-device world where this falls down to the responsibility of the user. Many manufacturers and carriers do not issue the latest Android versions for older devices.
\nSome highlights from the report:
\n79 percent of malware threats affect Android, with 19 percent targeting Symbian. Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, iOS, and others all peg in at less than 1 percent each. (The source of the figures is not known.)
\nSMS text messages represent “nearly half” of the malicious applications circulating today on older Android operating systems. Users can mitigate by installing Android security suites on their devices.
\nRootkits also pose a massive threat. The DHS\/FBI document notes that in late 20111, a popular rootkit Carrier IQ was installed on millions of devices, including Apple iPhones (though Apple later removed the software) and dozens of Android devices. These rootkits often go undetected and can log usernames, passwords, and traffic without the user’s knowledge \u2014 a serious security risk in a government enterprise setting.
\nFake Google Play domains are sites created by cybercriminals, the document notes, which replicate the Android application store to trick users into installing fake or malicious apps. DHS\/FBI note that only IT approved updates should be allowed, hinting that IT department should ensure secure IT policies from back-end mobile device management services.
\nvia Millions of Android users vulnerable to security threats, say feds | ZDNet<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Android remains the world’s most widely used operating system, based on market and usage share statistics, used by hundreds of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6,7,10],"tags":[65,342,1177],"class_list":["post-3274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-networking","category-security","category-technology","tag-android","tag-exploits","tag-vulnerabilities"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/papNkV-QO","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3197,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2013\/08\/19\/malware-hijacks-mobile-ad-networks-to-siphon-money\/","url_meta":{"origin":3274,"position":0},"title":"Malware hijacks mobile ad networks to siphon money","author":"NCCT","date":"August 19, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Asian cybercriminals have figured out an unusual way to use the architecture of a mobile ad network to siphon money from their victims. 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