With devices having Android OS (operating system) proliferating fast, hackers seem to have set their eyes on these smartphones.

That the amount of malware targeted at Android devices went up 76 per cent since last quarter shows how serious the problem is. It now becomes the most attacked mobile operating system, IT security solutions firm McAfee says.

Releasing the Threats Report: Second Quarter 2011, McAfee said that it had been the busiest ever first half-year in malware history with about 1.2 crore unique samples for the first half of 2011, showing an increase of 22 per cent increase over 2010.

With the vast amount of personal and business data now found on user's mobile phones, mobile malware is steadily increasing, often mimicking the same code as PC-based threats. Android OS-based malware surpassed Symbian OS for the most popular target for mobile malware developers.

While Symbian OS and Java remain the most targeted, the rapid rise in Android malware in the second quarter indicates that the platform could become an increasingly attractive target for cybercriminals.

“Overall attacks are becoming more stealth and more sophisticated. We could see attacks that remain unnoticed for longer periods of time. High-profile ‘hacktivist' groups have also changed the landscape by drawing a line between attacks for personal gain and attacks meant to send a message,” Mr Vincent Weafer, Senior Vice-President of McAfee Labs, said here, commenting on the findings of report.

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