Android users in Melbourne’s CBD are the most at risk sector of the community for malware threats according to a report released by F-secure.
The Finnish-based Internet security firm released a study that showed 18 per cent of all malware threats identified in Australia have come from the Victorian capital. South Yarra is the suburb most at risk with 10 per cent of all threats identified.
Brisbane is the second most susceptible capital city at 14 per cent, Perth is third with 11 per cent and Sydney ranks fourth with nine per cent.
F-Secure’s Security Advisor Asia-Pacific, Su Gim Goh, said Melbournians are most at risk because they download more apps than other Australians.
“However, regardless of where they live, all Australians should be taking control of protecting their personal data, considering the constantly changing threat landscape.”
In the other capitals, Sandgate, north of Brisbane recorded 9 per cent of malware threats, while Merrylands in Sydney’s west was the site of eight per cent of reported threats.
F-secure said that 55 per cent of malware detected in the country was classified as ‘possibly unwanted variant online’, and affect android mobiles. This type of malware is a program or component that may be intrusive or inadvertently introduces privacy or security risks. Users typically accept the potential risk associated with the program when downloading, and elect to install and use the application.
Most of the malware threats are designed to extract money from users who install the apps. The research showed that 88 per cent of new variants featured some way for the attacker to profit.
The firm recently appointed a new country manager for Australia, Adam Smith, who said that in Australia, the annual cost of cybercrime is about $1.65 billion.
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“Particularly in the lead up to the holidays, consumers and merchants should protect themselves from card fraud, which happens more frequently than what you might think – 4000 fraudulent transactions are recorded on average every day in Australia, and with internet shopping on the rise, more and more of these incidents are happening online and over Wi-Fi connections,” he said.
F-secure released its top six security tips for mobile users concerned about malware. They are: lock your device, setup message barring, use anti-theft protection, scrutinise permission requests, download only from trusted sources and scan all downloaded apps.
