Threats to the security of mobile devices and the information they store and process have been increasing significantly.
For example, the number of variants of malicious software, known as “malware,” aimed at mobile devices has reportedly
risen from about 14,000 to 40,000 or about 185 percent in less than a year (see figure1). Cyber criminals may use a
variety of attack methods, including intercepting data as they are transmitted to and from mobile devices and inserting
malicious code into software applications to gain access to users’ sensitive information. These threats and attacks are
facilitated by vulnerabilities in the design and configuration of mobile devices, as well as the ways consumers use them.
Common vulnerabilities include a failure to enable password protection and operating systems that are not kept up to date
with the latest version. According to a networking technology company, Juniper Networks, malware aimed at mobile
devices is increasing. Figure 1 shows the increase in malware variants between July 2011 and May 2012.