PH ranks 7th in mobile malware attacks

With the popularity of smart phones comes an inevitable problem: mobile malware is soaring as well. 

The numbers are particularly alarming for the Philippines, which was ranked 7th most attacked country worldwide, according to a report by international software security firm Kaspersky.

Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) revealed that “two out of 10 Kaspersky anti-virus users in the Philippines have been attacked by malware for mobile devices in the first quarter of 2016,” Inquirer reports. 

The data shows that the biggest culprit is adware, which is “a form of software that displays advertisements and collects information about the user which comes attached to free programs and applications downloaded online.”

“The main goal of cybercriminals is to earn and with millions of active smartphone users in the country, the Philippines is like an overflowing pot of gold,” said Anthony Chua, territory channel manager for the Philippines and Singapore at Kaspersky Lab Southeast Asia.

China has the most number of detected malware attacks, with four in ten users under threat. 

Other countries included in the most attacked list are Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Nigeria, India, Indonesia, Ukraine and Malaysia.

The safest? Taiwan, Australia and Japan. 

“It is high time for Filipino mobile users to think about security. Protect your mobile devices not because of dread for the cybercriminals’ stealthy attacks. Do it for yourself, to secure your data, your privacy and your money,” added Chua.

It’s about time to go the extra mile to try and keep your mobile phones safe, especially if you use online banking and other similarly vulnerable applications.