Overall mobile malware attacks across the region have witnessed a steady decline, according to Kaspersky.
The cybersecurity firm’s Mobile Threats in 2021 highlighted that the decrease is driven by cybercriminals consolidating their efforts to focus on more complicated, dangerous and profitable threats instead.
Kaspersky revealed that, in 2021, UAE users faced 29% fewer mobile malware attacks than in 2020.
Similarly, other countries in the Middle East also witnessed mobile malware incidents reduced. Egypt saw a staggering 52% decrease, followed by Qatar (47%), Kuwait (46%), Oman (27%) and Bahrain (13%).
The only two countries where the dynamic was different were Saudi Arabia with a 19% increase and Turkey, where the share increased by an anomalous 67%, the report revealed.
This dynamic is a reflection of the global trend, as cybercriminals tend to invest less and less into the mainstream threats that are successfully neutralised by modern security solutions. Instead, they choose to invest more into new mobile malware that has become increasingly complex, featuring new ways to steal users’ banking and gaming credentials, as well as other strands of personal data.
In 2021 Kaspersky detected more than 95,000 new mobile banking Trojans in the world, but the number of attacks using such malware remained similar. Additionally, the share of Trojans – malicious programmes capable of executing remote commands – doubled, reaching 8.8 percent in 2021.
“Indeed, there have been fewer mobile attacks in general, however, the attacks we are still seeing have become more complex and harder to spot. Cybercriminals tend to mask malicious apps under the guise of legitimate applications, which can often be downloaded from official app stores,” Tatyana Shishkova, security researcher, Kaspersky.
She further highlighted that with mobile banking and payment apps becoming even more widespread, there is a higher chance of cybercriminals targeting these more actively.
“Staying cautious and careful on the internet and avoiding downloading unknown apps is good practice, but I also strongly recommend using a reliable solution. When it comes to the security of finances, in particular, it is better to be safe than sorry,” she said.
In addition to the strategic changes on the mobile threat landscape, experts also attribute the overall decline of mobile malware in 2021 to the enormous wave of attacks seen at the beginning of lockdown in 2020 as users were forced to work from home.
The same period also saw increased use of various video conferencing and entertainment apps, increasing the volume and spread of attack opportunities. Now that the situation has stabilised, cybercriminal activity declined as a result, according to Kaspersky.
