Android users beware: there has been a rise in malware in Android apps that could infect your smartphone or tablet.

A recent report from the Juniper Networks Global Threat Center, Google's Android operating system had a 472 percent threat increase since July. In October there was a 110 percent increase in malware over the previous month and a 171 percent increase from July. The report points out that the increase of malware threats comes from applications that are downloaded from third party sites not associated with Google's Android Market.

"The open nature of the Android system makes it more susceptible to attack," Hoffman said in an interview with Bloomberg. "If it's on a third-party site, Google can't remove it."

Android's open nature means that people can download apps that aren't approved by Google. In contrast Apple screens every app on its App Store.

"What happens when anyone can develop and publish an application to the Android Market? A 472% increase in Android malware samples since July 2011," says a blog post by Juniper Networks on its findings. "These days, it seems all you need is a developer account, that is relatively easy to anonymize, pay $25 and you can post your applications."

Some apps that are available thru third party sites can contain malicious applications that users may not be aware of. Spyware threats are also coming from pirated versions of popular apps. Users are drawn to pirated apps because they can get it for free or because they don't have access to the genuine Android Market. Either way, downloading pirated apps comes with the risk that they have viruses bundled in them.

Juniper also warns Android users that not only are threats increasing they are also getting more sophisticated. New malware are being discovered that can gain root access to the device and then will install additional "packages" of code to extend the malware's performance. Just this past week Juniper discovered malicious applications hosted across different Russia-based third party apps that are aimed at stealing money from users and diverting profit from developers.

Android's popularity has also contributed to more malware in its devices. According to a report from Gartner, Android has about 52.5 percent market share of all smartphone devices in the third quarter of 2011. By comparison Apple only sold 17 million iPhones during that time accounting for only 15 percent of the market. With its increasing number of users, Android has also accepted an increasing number of cyber criminals who want to exploit all of these users.