Hundreds of malicious Android apps on Google Play were downloaded more than 40 million times over the past year, targeting users searching for productivity and workflow apps, according to a new report from cybersecurity firm Zscaler.<\/p>\n
The Zscaler ThreatLabz 2025 Mobile, IoT, and OT Threat Report pointed to a worrying 67% year-over-year rise in malware attacks on mobile devices between June 2024 and May 2025, driven largely by spyware and banking trojans. Many of these apps disguised themselves as everyday productivity or utility tools, taking advantage of users\u2019 trust in popular app categories.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Cybercriminals Target Mobile Payments <\/strong><\/p>\n The report shows a clear shift in criminal tactics. Instead of traditional card fraud, attackers are now focusing on mobile payment scams using phishing links, fake SMS messages (phishing), SIM-swapping, and malicious apps to trick users into revealing banking credentials and personal data.<\/p>\n Zscaler discovered 239 harmful apps on the Google Play Store \u2014 up from 200 the previous year \u2014 which were collectively downloaded 42 million times. Among them were banking trojans like Anatsa, spyware families such as SpyNote and SpyLoan, and adware (now making up nearly 70% of all Android malware detections) and spyware, which surged 220% compared to 2024.<\/p>\n Global Hotspots And Rapid Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n The report identified India (26%), the United States (15%), and Canada (14%) as the top three countries hit by mobile malware, together accounting for 55% of all mobile attacks. India remained the top target, which alone saw a 38% rise in threat activity compared to last year.<\/p>\n On the IoT front, the U.S. tops the list with 54% of global malicious traffic directed at American networks, followed closely by Hong Kong, Germany, India, and China. Manufacturing and transportation sectors were the most targeted industries, each representing about 20% of IoT malware incidents.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the energy sector saw a staggering 387% increase in cyberattacks, underscoring growing threats to critical infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201cAttackers are pivoting to areas with maximum impact. We\u2019re seeing a YoY rise of 67% in malware targeting mobile devices and 387% in IoT\/OT attacks on energy sectors often hosting critical infrastructure, which is a massive swing,\u201d said Deepen Desai, EVP and Chief Security Officer at Zscaler.<\/p>\n Top Malware Families<\/strong><\/p>\n According to Zscaler\u2019s report, the following three active malware families particularly stood out:<\/p>\n Staying Safe<\/strong><\/p>\n Zscaler warns that even the Google Play Store isn\u2019t entirely safe. Hence, it recommends users to:<\/p>\n For businesses, Zscaler recommends implementing Zero Trust security models \u2014 a system that continuously verifies every user and device \u2014 and integrating AI-driven threat detection networks to spot anomalies early.<\/p>\n \u201cA Zero Trust everywhere approach, combined with AI-powered threat detection, is imperative to reducing the attack surface, limit lateral movement, and provide organizations the defense they need against ever-evolving attacks,\u201d added Desai.<\/p>\n As mobile and connected devices become deeply woven into everyday life, the report warns that the line between personal and enterprise risk is rapidly blurring \u2014 making them increasingly attractive targets for cybercriminals.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hundreds of malicious Android apps on Google Play were downloaded more than 40 million times over the past year, targeting users searching for productivity and workflow apps, according to a new report from cybersecurity firm Zscaler. The Zscaler ThreatLabz 2025 Mobile, IoT, and OT Threat Report pointed to a worrying 67% year-over-year rise in malware […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":127978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48520,3141,7],"tags":[1253,63141,6782,6763,962,4663,518,61448,6772,840,64602],"class_list":{"0":"post-127976","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cyber-security","8":"category-news","9":"category-security-news","10":"tag-adware","11":"tag-anatsa","12":"tag-android","13":"tag-google","14":"tag-google-play","15":"tag-google-play-store","16":"tag-iot","17":"tag-malicious-android-apps","18":"tag-malware","19":"tag-mobile","20":"tag-mobile-payment"},"yoast_head":"\n\n
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