Mobile "Madware" Increasing in Mobile Devices
By: NBC News
Updated: February 18, 2013
One of the more maddening aspects of your mobile device has gotten worse, with little chance of getting better anytime soon.
Ads are popping up your smartphone and tablet computer at a pace so maddening they've been given their own unique, more appropriate name.
"This is really a whole new genre of mobile advertising which is fairly annoying, potential annoying so we've coined it madware," says Symantec's Con Mallon.
Experts say apps like "Angry Birds" are the most common way madware gets into your mobile device.
"During the course of 2012, we saw over a 200% increase in the number of apps that had madware characteristics in them," Mallon says.
Mallon says no one should be surprised that as more consumers went mobile advertisers would surely follow, and found apps the easiest way to get in.
He says madware isn't illegal, just annoying.
Norton has developed an app that can help.
"We've created an app called Norton Spot which will basically analyze all of the apps that you've downloaded onto your phone or your tablet," Mallon explains.
After analyzing, you can remove apps that have the most madware, then, going forward read the fine print before downloading any app, especially any that are free.
Some developers allow you a way to avoid madware by simply paying for the app.
