Malware such as this is showing no sign of reducing in the future, as cybercriminals know it works. Although this doesn’t sound like a large number, it seems this was a targeted, precision malware, which was designed to monitor phone activity and extracting data from popular apps including email, SMS, location, and voice calls, and media. One of the more sobering finds was Lipizzan, spyware that infected up to 100 devices. It then request device administration permission, and actively simulated click-on advertisements as it delivered to earn revenue. One type of malware, dubbed ‘GhostClicker’, sat in Google Play for almost a year, disguising itself as part of the service library. When reviewing Google Play, Sophos found that the number of different threats had doubled since last year. Due to it being one of the most lucrative industries from ransomware payments or selling medical records, Healthcare has been a big target in 2017 and will without a doubt continue that way into 2018.

Ransomware attacks have shifted in focus in the past two years, towards industries which are most likely to pay up, such as healthcare, government, critical infrastructure, and small businesses. The majority of these attacks have targeted Windows users, but the number of attacks on other platforms is increasing, including those targeting Android, Macs and Linux. Sophos expects this to jump to approximately 45 percent in October. In September alone, 30.4 percent of malicious Android malware processed by SophosLabs was ransomware. This year, WannaCry shook the world as the cyber hi-jack accounted for more than 45% of all ransomware tracked, closely followed by Cerber at 44.2%, according to Sophos’ most recent Malware Report. Ransomware is on every platform – don’t assume your mobile and tablets are safe. Harish Chib, vice president, Middle East & Africa.

Sophos reviews 2017