Kristen Nicole

If you have an Android device, malware threats are nothing new, just something with which you’ve learned to deal. Mobile security companies usually alert the public when any major malware or Trojan threat is discovered in the Android Market, but rarely do they disagree over what’s actually considered malware. This question’s been raised in regards to the latest string of Android Market botnets uncovered by Symantec, in what could be the largest botnet setup in Android’s history with as many as 5 million victims. Dubbed ‘Android.Counterclank’ (or ‘Apperhand SDK’) by Symantec, the malware was packaged across 13 different Android apps from different publishers, with titles ranging from Sexy Girls Puzzle to Counter Strike Ground Force. “They don’t appear to be real publishers,” Kevin Haley, a director with Symantec’s security response team, said. “These aren’t rebundled apps, as we’ve seen so many times before.”