In a notable rise of malicious surveillance applications, security experts are sounding the alarm over a significant increase in spyware incidents. According to the latest findings from Zscaler ThreatLabz, there has been a staggering 101% surge in such attacks year on year. Over the past twelve months, the researchers identified 200 dangerous applications lurking within the Google Play Store, which collectively amassed nearly eight million installations.
200 Malicious And Dangerous Apps Discovered In Google Play Store
Through an extensive analysis of data gathered from the Zscaler security cloud, which encompasses a remarkable 20 billion threat-related transactions, researchers were able to pinpoint 200 harmful apps available on the Play Store between June 2023 and May 2024. Among these, a particularly concerning Android banking malware family known as Anatsa has been found to exploit PDF and QR code reader applications to facilitate its distribution, targeting over 650 financial institutions worldwide. The financial sector has emerged as a primary target for these nefarious apps, with attacks in this area increasing by 29% compared to the previous year. However, this pales in comparison to the alarming rise in spyware, which has surged by an astonishing 101%. As the researchers noted, “It’s clear that threat actors are increasingly motivated by the profitability of attacks, either through direct monetary gain or the collection of personalized data and credentials.”
Geographically, the United States remains the foremost target for cybercriminals, followed closely by Japan, China, Singapore, and Germany. However, when focusing specifically on mobile malware applications, India takes the lead, with the U.S., Canada, South Africa, and the Netherlands rounding out the top five.
How Google Protects Play Store Users From Malware
Despite the presence of malware within the Play Store, Google has implemented proactive measures to detect and eliminate threats effectively. The company utilizes a range of features, including Chrome’s Safe Browsing, Android’s built-in security protocols, and Play Protect for the Play Store. These systems benefit from a wealth of threat intelligence derived from various Google products, coupled with a long-standing expertise in threat detection.
Google’s Play Protect system conducts checks on applications at the point of installation and performs periodic scans of devices to identify and assist users in removing potentially harmful applications. Users may receive notifications regarding potential threats, providing them with the option to uninstall the app or allowing for automatic removal under certain conditions. Additionally, Play Protect can disable harmful applications to prevent further damage until they are uninstalled. As Google stated, “In most cases, if a harmful app has been detected, you will get a notification saying that the app was removed.”
