Security researchers with Google are warning that Android devices, especially those in the budget category, can come with preinstalled malware. In fact, out-of-the-box malware has already been discovered on as many as 7.4 million Android devices. Some of the malicious software could take over devices, download malicious apps and help cybercriminals commit ad fraud.
Maddie Stone of Google’s Project Zero warns that pre-installed malware is a bigger threat than malware that is accidentally downloaded by users, yet security researchers have so far paid relatively little attention to this threat.
Read more: Android malware that comes preinstalled is a massive threat
