Ride the Lightning

The Mobile Malware Threat is Overrated

September 24, 2013

Hat tip to Dave Ries.

There is often more hype than reality in headlines, as Charlie Miller (veteran vulnerability hunter and exploit writer) pointed out recently in an interview. While the headlines scream about a 400% increase in malware for mobile spyware, Charlie says, "Exploits are harder on mobile devices than on desktops — way harder. . .  There are many more defenses, many more ways to get caught, and it's way harder to get people to your exploit in the first place."

The message for businesses: Don't spend too much time worrying about mobile threats. "Don't completely forget it, but apportion your resources toward the actual risk in the real world, which isn't very much," said Miller. Manage and protect mobile devices, and implement and enforce related security policies. But also keep potential threats against smartphones in perspective.

As my friend Dave reminded me, Lookout did a report last year in which it found that there was malware only on .02 to .04% of smartphones in the U.S. on which the Lookout software was being installed for the first time.

Headlines sell, but know what you're buying into. Nice sense of balance struck here by the irrepressible Charlie Miller.

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