According to a report, tens of thousands of insecure Android apps put mobile users at higher risk of fraud and cyberattack. Mobile security company Upstream identified more than 29,000 malicious Android apps in active use in the first quarter of 2020, double the number registered in the same quarter last year (just over 14,500). The survey also found that almost all (90%) of the top ten most malicious apps were found, or still are, on the official Google Play store. This suggests, according to Upstream, that hackers have always found ways to hack their way through Google's verification system. In line with this trend, this period also saw a 55% increase in fraudulent transactions on Android platforms, as well as an increase in the number of devices infected with malware.
Malicious Android Apps
The dramatic increase in the number of malicious Android apps in circulation has been attributed to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the way users consume content and use mobile platforms. According to Geoffrey Cleaves, who heads Upstream's anti-fraud offering, the rise in dangerous apps is directly related to the introduction of coronavirus lockdown measures. "With most of the world inside, the darker forces have moved to take advantage of the lockdown situation," he said. "We've seen a huge increase in the number of bad actors publishing 'entertainment' apps on the Google Play Store, leading users to subscribe to premium services." The firm says six of the ten most dangerous apps in the quarter fall under "entertainment," a broad category that includes video and audio, media, games and social apps. Apparently hackers and scammers seized the opportunity presented by a renewed appetite for media to pass the time and connect with friends. The most powerful Android app of the quarter was Snaptube, which allows users to download video content to their devices and has been installed more than 40 million times worldwide. Upstream released a report on the threat posed by Snaptube in October 2019, but the app remains available through various third-party Android app stores to this day. Although some dangerous apps make it to the Google Play Store, Android users are advised not to download software through third-party app stores, which likely places app submissions under a lower level of control.