That’s according to research by Kapersky, which found that the number of cyber attacks reached almost 33.8 million.
The UK accounted for 258,959 of these attacks.
The most prevalent threat to mobile devices was adware, making up 40.8 per cent of threats detected.
However, the number of installation packages for banking Trojans malware dropped to 153,682 after experiencing a sharp increase last year when the figure doubled. At the same time, the number of attacks using mobile bankers remained at the relatively same level.
Kaspersky also observed numerous malicious applications infiltrating Google Play. One of the most common disguises for 2023 were fake investment apps that relied on social engineering tactics to extract personal data from users, primarily phone numbers and full names, which were later added to databases used for phone fraud. Another prevalent vector of attacks observed was malicious WhatsApp and Telegram mods designed to steal user data.
"The surge in Android malware and riskware activity throughout 2023 marks a concerning shift after a period of relative calm," said Anton Kivva, mobile security expert at Kapersky. "Reaching levels reminiscent of early 2021 by year-end, this uptick underscores the significant threat users face. It's a stark reminder of the importance of remaining vigilant and implementing robust security measures to protect against evolving cyber threats."