{"id":32083,"date":"2022-02-27T11:16:36","date_gmt":"2022-02-27T08:16:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saudishopper.com.sa\/en\/?p=32083"},"modified":"2026-03-28T00:26:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T21:26:07","slug":"kaspersky-reports-the-anomalous-growth-of-the-mobile-malware-in-saudi-arabia-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saudishopper.com.sa\/en\/kaspersky-reports-the-anomalous-growth-of-the-mobile-malware-in-saudi-arabia-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaspersky reports the anomalous growth of the mobile malware in Saudi Arabia in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While analyzing the threat landscape of Saudi Arabia, Kaspersky saw a steady increase in attacks on mobile devices in the region. The overall mobile malware attacks have increased by almost a fifth, which is opposite of the regional and global trend. These and other findings are featured in Kaspersky\u2019s <\/strong>Mobile Threats in 2021<\/strong><\/a> report.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While a 19% increase in the share of mobile malware attacks in 2021 might seem like an insignificant change on the threat landscape, Kaspersky experts note that this dynamic is very specific: the number of attacks on mobile users worldwide has been declining, hitting 46 million in 2021 compared to 63 million in 2020, similarly to other countries in Middle East: Egypt saw a staggering 52% decrease, followed by Qatar (47%), Kuwait (46%), UAE (29%), Oman (27%) and Bahrain (13%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nowadays cybercriminals tend to invest less and less into the mainstream threats that are successfully neutralized by modern security solution. Instead, they choose to invest more into new mobile malware that has become increasingly complex, featuring new ways to steal users\u2019 banking and gaming credentials, as well as other strands of personal data. For instance, in 2021 Kaspersky detected more than 95,000 new mobile banking Trojans in the world, but the number of attacks using such malware remained similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experts also attribute the increase of mobile malware in 2021 to overall change of digital habits in the region. During the 2020 pandemic as users were forced to work from home there was an increase in use of various video conferencing and entertainment apps, increasing the volume and spread of attack opportunities. Now even though the situation has stabilized, users in Saudi Arabia has continued to rely heavily on their mobile device, facing increased risks that naturally accompany the increase in usage of mobile devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndeed, there have been fewer mobile attacks in the world, however, for Saudi Arabia the dynamic is different and we are still seeing that attacks have become more complex and harder to spot. Cybercriminals tend to mask malicious apps under the guise of legitimate applications, which can often be downloaded from official app stores. On top of that, with mobile banking and payment apps becoming even more widespread, there is a higher chance of cybercriminals targeting these more actively. Staying cautious and careful on the internet and avoiding downloading unknown apps is good practice, but I also strongly recommend using a reliable solution. When it comes to the security of finances in particular, it is better to be safe than sorry,\u201d<\/em> comments Tatyana Shishkova, security researcher at Kaspersky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the full report looking into mobile threats in 2021 on Securelist<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To protect yourself from mobile threats, Kaspersky shares the following recommendations:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n