RiskIQ’s 2019 Mobile Threat Landscape Report: a record number of malware drops

According to RiskIQ’s 2019 Mobile Threat Landscape Report, the number of malicious mobile applications spreading on the open network has been reduced by 20%.

In an analysis of more than 120 mobile application stores, RiskIQ said that while the number of global mobile apps has increased by 18%, the ability to defend against malicious applications has also been greatly improved.

The conclusion is based on the number of blacklisted or filtered applications in 2019, and the industry’s multifaceted efforts against these applications. The number of malicious apps in the Google Play Store in 2019 dropped sharply. The number of blacklisted apps decreased by 76% year-on-year, from 108,770 in 2018 to 25,647 in 2019.

According to the report, the largest distribution center for Android malicious applications is the Android game portal, 9Game.com, of which 61,669 applications have been blacklisted. The store is also where consumers are most likely to download malicious applications.

Third-party application markets, including Huawei’s Vmall, Xiaomi and Qihoo 360’s Android Stores, are also considered dangerous sources of malicious application concentration.

RiskIQ cites some particularly alarming trends in mobile threats, such as tricking consumers into downloading adware, malicious apps disguised as trusted brands, and more. This kind of activity peaked especially around U.S. online shopping and around Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday.

In addition, the report also recommends that users pay attention to the number of user reviews and downloads of the app, which can be used as part of the basis for judging the legitimacy of the application.