Deadliest Mobile Malware Threats Of 2012

While the amount of malicious software focused on the growing number of mobile devices on the market remains a drop in the bucket next to the amount targeting PCs, attackers are steadily turning the devices in consumers' pockets into targets.

So far this year, several pieces of malware have popped onto the radar and underscored the growing sophistication of cybercriminals targeting mobile devices. After fielding feedback from security pros, here in no particular order is Dark Reading's list of the five most dangerous, sophisticated, and prolific pieces of mobile malware that have appeared thus far in 2012.

1. FakeInst SMS Trojan and its variants
"FakeInst disguises itself as popular apps like Instagram, Opera Browser, [and] Skype, and sends SMS messages to premium-rate numbers," says Jerry Yang, vice president engineering at mobile security firm TrustGo.

"It is selected because it has been widely infected. There are many variants in the FakeInst family, such as RuWapFraud, Depositmobi, Opfake, and JiFake," Yang says. "Sixty percent of total Android malware we found belong to the FakeInst family. Geographically, it mainly exists in Russia. There are also samples found from all over the world."

More here:http://www.darkreading.com/mobile-security/167901113/security/news/240006056/top-5-deadliest-mobile-malware-threats-of-2012.html