Here’s a question I’ve had, that always bugs me. How dumb are people, really, when it comes to downloading software? This isn’t hard — don’t download software from a source you don’t trust absolutely and completely. This is the first lesson most people learn when they get on the Internet, usually when they decide to buy some smiley animations and their computer bursts into flames.
And yet, apparently, Android malware is so popular Trend Micro thinks it’ll be in the six figures by the end of the year:
The security firm said at the start of the year, it had found more than 5,000 malicious applications designed to target Google’s Android mobile operating system, but the figure has since risen to about 20,000 in recent months. By the coming third-quarter, the firm estimates there will be around 38,000 malware samples, and close to 130,000 in the fourth-quarter.
Trend Micro is obviously not entirely unbiased here, since they make anti-virus software. But it raises the question of whether this is really Google’s problem. Sure, they need to take down malicious software in their marketplace. That goes without question.
But can Google really be expected to stop people from being, well, dumb? That’s the problem here — somebody looks for an app, finds one written in broken English that promises them free beer and strippers, and they actually choose to download it instead of seeing it for the transparent scam that it is. As long as they’ve got that base of idiots, Google is going to have this problem, just like Microsoft. Google can install filters and curate apps, but there comes a point where the consumers is responsible for his actions.
So, for the love of God, people, think before you click.
Image courtesy Scarygami on Flickr