Apple’s Phil Schiller links to Cisco security report on Twitter

Jan 22, 2014 11:07 GMT  ·  By

Apple Marketing Chief Phil Schiller has tweeted a link to Cisco's 2014 Annual Security Report, which casts a favorable light on the company’s iOS mobile operating system.

The report, as its name implies, talks about malware and the frequency of malware encountered by users in all camps, including Apple, Google, Microsoft, and BlackBerry.

With an eye on malware that can be installed on the handset itself and wreak havoc as well as online scams and such, Cisco's 2014 Annual Security Report states that 99 percent of all mobile malware is targeted at Android devices, which leaves iOS almost untouched.

This being one of the main advantages of using Apple’s closed ecosystem, as opposed to the more open Android platform. However, Cisco is careful to point out that these numbers don’t necessarily make iOS malware-free.

Far from it, actually, as not all types of malware come in the form of an installable package, and not all cyberscams are platform-specific.

“Not all mobile malware is designed to target specific devices, however. Many encounters involve phishing, likejacking, or other social engineering ruses, or forcible redirects to websites other than expected,” reads the report.

“An analysis of user agents by Cisco TRAC/SIO reveals that Android users, at 71 percent, have the highest encounter rates with all forms of web-delivered malware, followed by Apple iPhone users with 14 percent of all web malware encounters.”

That 14 percent (while not a negligible number) certainly makes iOS seem a lot more secure than Android.

Cisco also notes in the report that “Cybercriminals are learning that harnessing the power of the Internet's infrastructure yields far more benefits than simply gaining access to individual computers.”

“The newest twist in malicious exploits is to gain access to web hosting servers, nameservers, and data centers—with the goal of taking advantage of the tremendous processing power and bandwidth they provide,” the Internet company adds.

“Through this approach, exploits can reach many more unsuspecting computer users and have a far greater impact on the organizations targeted, whether the goal is to make a political statement, undermine an adversary, or generate revenue,” says Cisco.