WASHINGTON – A new memo by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shows the overwhelming majority of malware threats targets the Android operating system.
The report says Android – the most used operating system on today’s phones – accounts for 79 percent of mobile malware threats, while malware is designed to exploit the Apple iOS only 0.7 percent.
The older Symbian platform is targeted 19 percent of the time, according to the report.
The less popular Windows Mobile and BlackBerry systems are targeted 0.3 percent.
The DHS memo is directed toward police, fire, and other public safety agencies, to aid in securing communications. It is based on 2012 data.
The report was published by the website Public Intelligence.
The DHS report offers suggestions for how agencies can reduce the threats, which often come in the form of Trojan text messages, and phony Google Play domains.