{"id":37551,"date":"2014-09-04T06:00:45","date_gmt":"2014-09-04T13:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=37551"},"modified":"2025-08-07T21:35:40","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T04:35:40","slug":"quick-look-at-the-current-threat-landscape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/quick-look-at-the-current-threat-landscape\/","title":{"rendered":"Mobile Malware, Phishing and Ransomware \u2014 Oh My!"},"content":{"rendered":"

So far, 2014 has been a tumultuous year for the security industry. We\u2019ve seen thousands of computers taken hostage through ransomware\u2014malicious software that encrypts and locks data until the victim pays a ransom; we\u2019ve seen a steady increase in the number of phishing attacks\u2014targeted attacks aimed at tricking unwary victims into loading malware<\/a> onto their devices; and, as has been the trend for some time, we\u2019ve seen a steadily rising number of mobile malware variants out in the wild. And that\u2019s all without even mentioning the word \u201cHeartbleed<\/a>.\u201d So what\u2019s changed over the past few months? Our team of security researchers at McAfee Labs\u2122 set out to find the answer to that question. What they found they put into their McAfee Labs Threats Report: August 2014.<\/p>\n

Mobile malware: A steady increase<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Perhaps the most disconcerting trend in cybersecurity is the steady growth of mobile malware<\/a>, which is spread through malicious or infected apps. The creation of new mobile malware has consistently remained at the same rate for the past few quarters. This latest quarter is no different, with 700,000 new samples found. That is a 17% growth of mobile malware in Q2. Mobile devices are more prevalent than ever, giving hackers plenty of opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities where they can find them. So what can be done?<\/p>\n