According to Trend Micro’s Director, Consumer ANZ, Tim Falinski, the new solutions will help mitigate threats to devices using both Android and Apple operating systems.
“With PC shipments decreasing and mobile device sales soaring, 2013 saw a sizable increase in volume, intensity and sophistication of mobile threats. About 60% of Australians own smartphones and use them to access everything from Facebook to their bank accounts.
“In 2014 we will see mobile become the attack vector of choice for cyber criminals, which means keeping smartphones – and therefore personal identity – secure against mobile threats is more critical than ever.”
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The security firm says Apple iOS devices are also vulnerable to phishing attacks, and in 2013, its researchers predicted that malicious and high-risk Android apps would exceed one million by the year’s end – a figure that took PC malware a decade to reach. Now, TrendLabs predicts that figure will reach three million this year.
“The level of convenience provided by smartphones and mobile devices is so significant, that they have become critical to our personal and business lives, but the risk attached to them is high,” Falinski warns.
Falinski says that when using mobile devices and smartphones, people need to “think safe and smart.” “For example in 2013, only 27% of malicious and high risk apps originated from the official app stores. This means a simple rule of downloading apps only from known stores automatically removes 73% of the risk. Simple steps like this, and installing a reliable mobile security product can make a huge difference to the protection of your identity.”
Trend Micro Mobile Security uses the company’s cloud based Smart Protection Network and Mobile App Reputation infrastructure and is available in Australia now the Apple App Store, Google Play and Amazon Kindle Fire Apps store.
The products are also available from Harvey Norman, JB Hi Fi, Dick Smith and other retailers, as well as online at Trend Micro’s Australian website
