A report entitled "Mobile Threats, Made to Measure" from mobile security firm Lookout revealed that user behavior pose the biggest risk factor for mobile threats, VentureBeat reported.
The findings were gleaned based on Lookout's 50 million users in 2013. Although the report said mobile threats are changing from country to country, Lookout Security Product Manager Jeremy Linden told VentureBeat that the best indicator of that a mobile threat is going to hit is "risky behavior by users."
He likens the situation to a speeding car. Linden said, "If you speed your car, you're more likely to get into an accident. If you encounter chargeware, it's usually because you've visited a porn site or ad, and that behavior exposes you to more dangerous threats." Chargeware directs users to apps or subscriptions where they are billed dishonestly, the report said.
The report looks at the specialization for chargeware, malware and adware for each country as developers try to change their tactics to deal with the threats. The report warns, "Risky behavior begets other risky behavior" such that if you "have a malware trojan on your phone means you're seven times more likely to download another app with a Trojan."
The behavior of users, laws and methods of billing are also different in each country which gives rise to other kinds of mobile threats. For example, with the strict mobile regulations in Europe, attackers don't go for direct and high-priced SMS but would prefer chargeware which is considered a "grey area." These types of "grey area" strategies victimize 13% of users in France and 20% in the UK.
The encounter rate for malware is quite low in the US (4%) because trusted app stores are mainstream. However, the rate is 28% in China because there are more third-party app stores there. Russia, on the other hand, has an encounter rate of 63% for malware, the report said.
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