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    Lookout's Mobile Threat Tracker Shows Where All That Android Malware Is [VIDEO]

    By Peter Pachal | Mashable – Tue, Jan 24, 2012

    [brightcove video="1411791060001" /]

    If you've got an Android phone, you've probably been increasingly concerned about malware, which flared up a few times over the past year -- even showing up in the official Android Market at one point. But just how bad is the problem? Lookout, a company that specializes in softtware for mobile security, just released a new app that can satisfy your curiosity.

    [More from Mashable: Sony to Upgrade Tablets and Xperia Smartphones to Android 4.0 This Spring]

    Lookout's Mobile Threat Tracker shows the location of every malware incident tracked by its app on a 3D map of the world. From what the app shows, there are a lot. The incoming streaks probably show things a little more dramatic than they need to be, but it's still a sobering reminder that phones are rapidly becoming big business for malware creators.

    Even then, the app doesn't quite give the full picture. It's limited by the penetration of Lookout, which is used widely in the U.S. and Europe (mainly Germany) in particular. Lookout says the free app shows threats in "near real-time," with the date and time of incidents visible on the bottom of the screen, so you're getting a fairly up-to-date picture of what Android phones are up against on a daily basis. Besides just the impressive visual, the app also calls up the top three specific threats, providing a little extra information on what the evildoing software does. It'll also give a percentage of spyware vs. malware.

    [More from Mashable: Canadian Engineer Building a Real Android]

    Last year, Android users had their first big scare when the trojan DroidDream was found in apps that were in the Android Market. DroidDream wasn't just a mild piece of malware -- it actually could root the phone it was installed on. Google rapidly responded by removing the apps from the Market and then exercising its rarely used "kill switch" to delete the apps in question on any phone that had installed them.

    If you own an Android phone, do you have a security app installed? If so, which one? And will you get Lookout's Threat Tracker? Let us know in the comments.

    This story originally published on Mashable here.

     

    2 comments

    • we're screwed
      we're screwed  •  4 mths ago
      I had lookout. It kept popping up wanting me to buy the paid version. Drive ya crazy. I deleted it and it still comes in with other ads. I use Webroot Security Anywhere for mobile phones. As far as I can tell it works fine.
    • Vlada
      Vlada  •  Milford, Ohio  •  4 mths ago
      AVAST for Droid is the best! Free app! Easy to install and use and comes with an anti-theft feature! Highly recommend!!!
     Post a comment
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