Android's popularity makes it open target for malware, says study

Android's surge in popularity has triggered an accompanying surge in malware aimed at the mobile OS, says a new study today from Fortinet.

Analyzing the malware landscape this year, the security vendor tracked a 90 percent jump in Android malware families in 2011 compared with 2010. That figure doesn't account for infection rates or severity, only the rise in malware seeking to infect Android devices.

In comparison, malware directed toward Apple's iOS rose by only 25 percent over last year.

Fortinet pointed to two reasons for the larger bull's eye painted on Android's back.

Google's OS has shown a dramatic increase in market share over the past year, surpassing iOS, Nokia's Symbian, RIM's BlackBerry, and other mobile platforms. A recent Gartner reportpegged Android's share of the global smartphone market at 52.5 percent, followed by Symbian with 16.9 percent and iOS with 15 percent. As the leading smartphone OS, Android has naturally become a bigger target for cybercriminals.