Android malware: 38 new phones and tablets found to be pre-installed with virus before being sold

Over 30 different Android smartphones and tablets have been found to have had malware preinstalled on them before users even switched them on, according to a cyber security firm. Check Point detected a "severe infection" on 38 handsets being used by two of its corporate clients, a telecommunications firm and a multinational technology company that have not been named. The issue affects smartphones from a number of big-name brands, including Samsung, LG and Google. It must be made clear, however, that not all models of the devices named above are affected. "According to the findings, the malware were already present on the devices even before the users received them," reads the Check Point blog post announcing the discovery.