ESET, an EU-based security company, recorded an increase of over 50% in Android detection ransomware in 2016, which is historically the highest number of attempts to penetrate Appliances. ESET presents the latest annual data based on LiveGrid technology in the white paper "Trends in Android Ransomware". The findings are revealed just ahead of Mobile World Congress, which takes place in Barcelona (February 27 – March 2, 2017).
"Overall, we saw an increase in malware detection on Android devices by about 20%, with ransomware on this platform rising at an increasing pace. Although ESET recorded the biggest increase in the first half of 2016, we can not safely say that this threat will soon disappear, "says Chief Technology Officer of ESET Juraj Malcho, who will deal with this issue in MWC 2017.
Its creators crypto-ransomware, which encrypts files and locks the screen of devices, have practiced over the past 12 months copying effective techniques used in desktop malware attacks. They have also developed their own more sophisticated methods specifically to target Android devices.
In addition to the more common intimidation tactics used by "police ransomware" that locks displays, cybercriminals try to keep a low profile by encrypting the malicious payload and burying it even deeper within the infected apps.
2015, ESET had noticed that the interest of Android ransomware creators had shifted from users of devices in Eastern Europe to users in the US. However, last year there was an increasing interest in the Asian market. "Indeed, we can say that the Android-attacked ransomware has become a large-scale global threat," adds Malcho.
For full access to the findings, download the ESET white paper “Trends in Android Ransomware” (PDF)
