Kaspersky security software hops onto Android devices

Android
Kaspersky makes its way onto Android

Kaspersky Labs has done a deal with Qualcomm that will see its Mobile Security and Tablet Security software pre-installed on Android devices powered by Snapdragon processors.

Kaspersky says the deal, which was agreed on 'special terms', will see its apps offered to a wide range of customers who are manufacturing, or have manufactured on their behalf, Snapdragon-enabled mobile devices or tablets running Android.

The company's Mobile Security and Tablet Security apps are currently sold on Google's Play store for $15 (£9) and $20 (£13) respectively.

Qualcomm joins a list of more than 80 existing Kaspersky Labs partners, including Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Juniper Networks and Alcatel Lucent.

Eugene Kaspersky, Chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Labs, said: "In Kaspersky Lab, we have a solid number of global companies we work with, and Qualcomm Technologies will be one of the most important among them.

"We are looking forward to providing solutions to a wide range of device manufacturers, who are designing and/or building Snapdragon-enabled mobile devices or tablets running on Android."

According to a study by NQ Mobile, which tapped into the company's database of 283 million mobile users, the number of malware attacks on Android doubled in the period from 2011 to 2012.

NQ Mobile estimated that over 32.8 million Android devices were infected last year, versus 10.8 million in 2011 - a rise of more than 200 per cent.