— Malwarebytes now provides superior mobile protection for Android users to protect against growing levels of mobile malware

— Android ransomware increased more than 100 percent between Q1 and Q2 2017

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – August 24, 2017 – Malwarebytes™, the leader in advanced malware prevention and remediation solutions, today announced the release of Malwarebytes for Android, featuring targeted defense against mobile malware, ransomware, adware, infected applications and unauthorized surveillance. Combining multiple distinct protection layers, Malwarebytes for Android is a more effective and efficient replacement for antivirus on mobile devices.

According to data collected by Malwarebytes, incidences of Android malware increased more than five percent since the start of the year. Most notably, incidents of Android ransomware increased 138 percent in Q2 2017 (April to May) over Q1 (January to March) 2017, with Jisut, SLocker and Koler ransomware collectively accounting for nearly 95 percent of these detections. While Android ransomware is growing at this rapid pace, Trojans and potentially unwanted programs remain the biggest issues for Android users. Android Trojans accounted for more than 48 percent of all Android malware detections in the first half of 2017 and potentially unwanted programs accounted for 47 percent of all detections.

Malwarebytes for Android features several distinct benefits and features for users to protect against this increasingly dangerous mobile threat landscape, including:

• Anti-Malware proactively and automatically scans mobile applications, files, native memory and SD cards for malware and spyware, in addition to potentially unwanted programs and adware for removal.
• Anti-Ransomware proactively stops ransomware in its tracks with proprietary next-generation technology and remediates ransomware incidents.
• Process Automation schedules automatic device scans and color codes device health issues by severity.
• Security Audit identifies security vulnerabilities on the device and suggests remediation.
• Privacy Manager identifies every application’s access privileges in detail and breaks down access privileges by category.
• Scanner showcases scan progress and identifies types of infections found, removal results and scan history.

To optimize the mobility of these features, Malwarebytes for Android can be easily managed from a desktop widget. The app can also be controlled using SMS to remotely lock a device, remediate a device if it is being held ransom, and reset device pin codes.

“Windows devices are no longer the sole victims of damaging malware attacks, as strategic attacks on Android devices are rapidly on the rise,” said Armando Orozco, Senior Mobile Malware Intelligence Analyst, Malwarebytes. “All Android users need to remain alert and proactively guard their identity and data on the go, just as they do on their computers at home.”

For further details on Malwarebytes for Android, click here.