The topic of malware on Android has taken an interesting turn today. We mentioned the report from F-Secure which was saying that Android accounted for 79 percent of all malware in 2012 and that iOS accounted for only 0.7 percent. The interesting turn came when Apple’s Phil Schiller decided to tweet about the report, and while not specifically using the word Android, he seems to have been sending the message with Android users in mind.

Anyway, the tweet was short and simple and warned users to “be safe out there.” Those four words were then followed by a link to the previously mentioned F-Secure report. As an Android user, what can we say; thanks. The slightly strange part here, Schiller is not all that active on Twitter. In fact, his previous tweet came on December 25 when he wished all his followers a “Happy Christmas.” And before that, he sent a love and prayers message to the folks in Newtown, Connecticut.

Basically, with those two tweets coming before this, the Android one seems a bit off. But again, thanks for the warning. On a more serious note though, that 79 percent number is based on a report with a total of 301 reports. Yes, just 301 in 2012. Putting the numbers aside though, this sort of brings back memories of the Mac vs. Windows arguments.

Putting this Schiller tweet to the side though and we offer a bit of common sense advice for Android users. Sure, there could be some issues with malware in apps, but for the most part it should be easy to avoid. Take caution when you sideload apps — make sure they are coming from a reputable site and/or person and when using the Google Play Store, check some of the additional details such as the developer name and permissions.

[via SlashGear]