Security Advisor
Apple on Android Malware: 'Be Safe Out There'
Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, couldn't help taking a jab at Android over the release of a new F-Secure Labs report that found that 79 percent of all mobile malware in 2012 were found on Google's mobile platform. Â Â Â Â Â
Schiller's response? "Be safe out there."
While context is lacking from a simple four-word tweet, it is easy to infer that Schiller would like to point out that Apple's No. 1 competitor in the mobile market is much more vulnerable to malware than its line of iPhones and iPads.
It's easy to be proud of the fact that Apple only garnered .7 percent of malware for the year. However, due to the closed nature of the platform and the stringent requirements Apple sets forth for submissions in its app store, shouldn't any number that is higher than 0 percent be unacceptable?
It's much easier for me to understand that 79 percent of malware sidesteps Apple to end up on Android devices -- the open nature present on Google's platform is a welcome mat for attackers, and freedom (I'm not referring to Google's privacy policies here) does come with its downside.
And you know what else makes you a juicy target for hackers? Being the king of the hill. "The rise of Android malware can be largely attributed to the operating system's increasing foothold in the mobile market," read F-Secure Labs' report. "Android's market share has risen to 68.8 percent in 2012, compared to 49.2 percent in 2011."
Apple knows that the rise of popularity also comes with the rise of risk. Remember when Macs used to be the poster child for safe computing? If you want viruses, go with a Microsoft PC. If you want to be bug-free, go with a Mac.
That was until Apple's computers started experiencing market share growth. That got the attention of attackers. McAfee's second quarter security threat report for 2012 attested to the growth of malware on Macs, and attributed it to the platform's rising market share.
Personally, when it comes to mobile platforms, I do enjoy the freedom Android gives me in customizing and app selection compared to when I had an iOS device. And I have no misconceptions that Google Play's app store is a mixed-bag of malware and legitimate applications.
So I use the same caution when downloading something to my phone or tablet that I do when downloading something to my PC: I research the legitimacy of what I'm downloading and once downloaded, I make sure to scan it with my antivirus software. And so far, I've avoided falling into the 79 percent of malware on the platform.
In other words, I'm being safe out there.