The reputation of the world's most popular mobile operating system, Android, has been dealt a blow after it emerged that Google had to remotely disable 58 different apps installed on more than a quarter of a million smartphones around the world because they contained malicious software.

The programme, known as DroidDream, was able to steal personal information from mobiles, download other malware onto the infected phone and even take control of the handset.

It was discovered on 58 free apps that had been installed on as many as 260,000 different mobiles. Google responded by activating a remote 'kill switch' that deleted the apps from the users' phones, it has since contacted everyone who had downloaded one of the infected apps to explain what had happened.



Analysts at the Information Security Forum are warning users to expect more attacks of this nature as the number of connected people, devices and data transactions grow and the motives and opportunities for cyber crime increase. 



Steve Durbin, Global VP at the ISF, warned that developers have a ‘duty of care’ to customers, but also advised users to exercise caution when downloading anything onto their mobile devices.



“Every time an individual downloads an app, some software or accesses a website using a mobile device, it introduces risks – risks that are often outside of the control of the individual and of the security professional.



“Organisations need to be more aware of the fact that personal devices, like smartphones and tablets, are becoming more affordable, more powerful and better connected and to start building a security model based on trust and which does not rely on the network for protection.