Android Malware: Why You Shouldn't Be Scared

09.03.2011
If you've read much news lately, you know it's that time of year again -- time for the semiannual .

You know what I'm talking about: Some company, usually one that happens to sell a virus protection program for Android, comes out with a slew of blogs and press releases warning us of a super-duper-scary virus monster just waiting to attack vulnerable Android phones. Countless news stories follow, making sure we're aware of the unprecedented danger headed our way. Soon, the streets of America fill with men and women flinging their phones and running for their lives.

All right, that last part might be a stretch, but you get where I'm going here. Our latest Android malware episode started a few days ago when Lookout, a company that -- wait for it -- sells a virus protection program for Android, posted a and sent out a press release warning of a newly found threat. Called "," the threat lurked in about 50 apps within the Android Market, Lookout said. If installed on your phone, those apps could potentially let an attacker and ultimately access some of your device's data.

Long story short, from the Market, remotely removed any traces of the programs from users' phones, and released a patch that'd prevent the apps from doing any more harm. the only thing the attacker might have gotten his hands on was a series of phone-identifying codes -- no personal e-mails, no phone numbers, nothing else.

Is this mildly concerning? Sure. Is it a cause for the kind of we've seen around the Web this week? Absolutely not.

Let's step back for a moment and put this in perspective: The Android Market is an open ecosystem. That means any registered developer can create and upload programs without the need for a manufacturer's approval. Inevitably, that also means something shady will show up from time to time.