Android plagued by malware – McAfee

The amount of malware targeting Android devices rose by 76 per cent in the second quarter of this year, according to research released by McAfee.

That means Android is now the most popular mobile target for virus writers, overtaking Symbian for the first time.

"This year we’ve seen record breaking numbers of malware, especially on mobile devices, where the uptick is in direct correlation to popularity," says McAfee’s SVP Vincent Weafer.

The company claims that mobile malware often mimics the code of PC-based threats, and poses as ‘everything from calendar apps, to comedy apps, to SMS messages to a fake Angry Birds update’.

More data can be found over at Develop’s sister site Mobile Entertainment.