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Pulse Secure Releases First Mobile Threat Report; Finds 391 Percent Increase of Unique Malicious Applications Developed in 2014
June 2015 by Pulse Secure
Pulse Secure, a provider of access and mobile security solutions to the enterprise and service providers, announced the release of its 2014 Mobile Threat Report. The report, based on data and research of more than 2.5 million mobile applications gathered by the Pulse Secure Mobile Threat Center research facility, found that there continues to be an increase of Android developed malware in an attempt to turn a profit. The research also illustrates that in 2014, nearly one million (931,620) unique malicious applications were produced, or rather a 391 percent increase from 2013 alone.
Additionally, in the report, the Mobile Threat Center determined a significant growth in Android malware, which currently consists of 97 percent of all mobile malware developed. In 2014 alone, there were 1,268 known families of Android malware, which is an increase of 464 from 2013 and 1,030 from 2012.
The report also found significant takeaways for enterprises, highlighting that many organizations have attempted to embrace BYOD with Mobile Device Management (MDM) suites or capabilities, but are being met with resistance from users because personal devices are falling under the control of enterprise administrators. In 2015, enterprises should expect to see a shift from trying to manage and secure an entire mobile device via MDM to one of employing workspaces to secure only portions of the device that access and store corporate data.
Additional key findings from the report include:
• The ability to take profit from an end user with SMS premium services or ad networks is a capability of each of the top 10 malware threats identified in 2014.
• The overwhelming majority of Android malware is being developed and distributed in unregulated third party app stores in the Middle East and Asia.
• There were four iOS targeted attacks in 2014 and most targeted jailbroken devices. However, WireLurker is the first example of a non-jailbroken iOS device being infected by tethering to an infected Mac device.
“Enterprise networks, while continually hardened at the perimeter, need to apply similar mobile security controls to appropriately deal with the ever increasing BYOD push coming from employees,” said Troy Vennon, director of the Pulse Secure Mobile Threat Center and author of the report. “The focus on Android and jailbroken iOS devices by mobile malware developers illustrates that they are actively attempting to exploit mobile devices as the weak link in enterprise security.”
The Pulse Secure Mobile Threat Center conducts around-the-clock security, vulnerability and malware research on mobile device platforms. The Mobile Threat Report analyzes attacks, threat vectors and the common misuses of mobile devices that have led to a significant risk spike in mobile devices. It also delivers in-depth analysis of what the industry can expect in 2015, including advancements and developments that continue to threaten corporate assets and enterprise administrators. Most importantly, the annual report indicates an increasing need for regular health checks for rooted or jail-broken devices that attempt to connect to enterprise networks and steal resources.
