Malware for Android discovered

[Willy2]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57567430-94/android-malware-uses-your-pcs-own-mic-to-record-you/

 

And I thought this was limited to Windows. When is the first Android only virus/malware going to be discovered ?

[hazelnut]

Been around quite a while

 

http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/2222710/android-device-owners-face-rapid-growth-in-virus-attacks

[Nergal]

only reason most virus were windows only is market share. When google took a page out of MS' book and put the OS on multiple OEMs and not force a single app buying spot on users, they should have expected this (and likely did)

Edited February 10, 2013 by Nergal

[hazelnut]

Here is a list of Android anti virus apps which have just undergone testing.

 

Yes I know, it's not in English, but the guist of it is easy to understand when you see the list

 

http://www.faravirusi.com/2013/02/10/detectia-virusilor-pe-android-test-comparativ-pe-15-produse-de-securitate-by-faravirusi-com-2/

[Nergal]

Here is a list of Android anti virus apps which have just undergone testing.

 

Yes I know, it's not in English, but the guist of it is easy to understand when you see the list

 

http://www.faravirusi.com/2013/02/10/detectia-virusilor-pe-android-test-comparativ-pe-15-produse-de-securitate-by-faravirusi-com-2/

great list hazelnut, I like that it's mostly trusted names (Norton, f-secure, avg). Norton has a good track record for creating across the board for large attack vectors (Windows, Android) to small one (Palm, MACOS9, linux, Windows-Mobile (pre wp8))

their home PC stuff leaves a lot of people unhappy but their enterprise and mobile stuff has never done bad by me (I don't do android so I've not tried that product)

[DennisD]

It would be useful if any of you guys with Smartphones and real experience with an installed A/V could post your opinions of said A/V's.

 

Do any cause slowdown or other problems? I might own an Android based phone myself shortly. Or not.

[rridgely]

From my understanding these viruses don't actually do anything to android, its when you plug in to a windows box that they attack. This is the same reason many linux users still use AV software, to avoid infecting the windows machines they interact with.

 

I don't understand how these viruses are being installed either. If you have an android phone then theoretically your getting all your software from the app store which should be safe. Now if these apps aren't safe then thats on google and they need to do something about it. I don't like the idea of running av software on my phone. (battery life)

 

Yes you can install apps outside of the andorid market and if thats how these infections are happening then people need to quit doing it. I'm not sure why you would side load software rather than just click install from the app store.

[Andavari]

It would be useful if any of you guys with Smartphones and real experience with an installed A/V could post your opinions of said A/V's.

 

Do any cause slowdown or other problems? I might own an Android based phone myself shortly. Or not.

 

I told my mom she needed a trusted AV on her Amazon Kindle Fire HD since it can go practically anywhere on the Internet and play just about anything too. I helped her put Norton on it which happened to be the only up-to-date trusted AV I could find on Amazon.com which was also free. Once installed it works on its own in the background without bothering her. The person she spoke to at Amazon stated "it wasn't needed, and that it would slow down her Kindle", although she's noticed no slowdowns and no issues from it.

Edited February 10, 2013 by Andavari
Fixed typos

[Nergal]

as far as phones go, they will indeed do more than wait for a PC, including but not limited to SMS sends, data transfer and even botnet-slave for use in DDoS attacks.

sms

http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/03/29/trojan-android-games-send-expensive-smss/

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2367646,00.asp

https://www.cert.pl/news/5651/langswitch_lang/en

 

ddos

http://thenextweb.com/google/2012/12/27/new-android-malware-uses-google-play-icon-to-trick-users-conduct-ddos-attacks-and-send-spam-texts/

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/tricky-android-malware-fools-users-google-play-icon-1C7753030

 

data transfer

http://thenextweb.com/google/2011/06/05/droidkungfu-android-malware-steals-sensitive-data-avoids-anti-virus-detection/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44232800/ns/technology_and_science-security/t/data-stealing-malware-hits-android-market/

Edited February 10, 2013 by Nergal