Every year we get together, set aside differences (in most cases) and enjoy a wonderful meal with family and loved ones. Often times the joyous meal is interrupted by a comment or quip between someone like your uncle and your husband, leaving the dinner table… silent. Some one (hopefully) cracks a joke to make light of the situation and then we all move on. Thanksgiving Dinner is a mere preview of what is going to happen on Friday, BLACK FRIDAY, except with out the jokes…

People are searching the net for printable coupons, camping out, waiting for the store to open its’ doors. Then when open, it’s everyone for themselves: get the Elmo Doll, get the last Nintendo on the shelf, find the HD TV marked 50% off! During the chaos your foot might be run over by a shopping cart to which your assailant will only give you a smirk as if to say “It’s Black Friday, toughen up”.

I hate starting a post with such a negative moniker but facts are facts. There has been an EXPLOSIVE rise in Android malware between June 2010 and January 2011 according to Juniper Network’s Mobile Threat Report. In a nutshell, a 400% increase in Android Malware has been reported on Android devices like phones and tablets. Granted, a majority of the malware came from “pirated” versions of legitimate android software. See, there is an official Android Market and there are “third party” android markets. The third party market may offer “free” versions of the same “paid” apps on the official android market.

To me this is nothing more then the evolution of Limewire. While in no way affiliated with Limewire, the premise is the same: pirated software for no charge. What happens is the app is taken from the official market, ripped apart and then re-assembled with malicious code in it. The “trojanized” app is then put on the third party market where people looking to save a buck, literally in some cases, can get it.