Google announced a new layer of security for its Android Market on Yesterday,  a program called “Bouncer” that will automatically scan apps and developer accounts for malware. Bouncer works by analyzing each app as it is uploaded to the Market, scans for threats, spyware and trojans. It also takes a look at developer accounts to make sure they don’t have a malicious history. If they do, Bouncer will discourage them from returning. The program will do repeated scans on existing apps to keep tabs on the entire marketplace.

In addition to the initial scan, Bouncer simulates a run of the app within Google’s cloud infrastructure to moniter if threats would occur if the app was running on an actual Android device.The added protection follows security concerns regarding the safety of Android applications. Unlike Apple, its main competitor in the app marketplace, Google previously did not require developers uploading apps to the Android Market to undergo a rigorous approval process. The service has actually been in use for a while, according to Hiroshi Lockheimer, vice president of engineering for Android. There was a 40 percent decrease in the number of potentially malicious downloads from the Android Market between the first and second halves of 2011.

Mobile malware has been a growing concern over the past year so there is a need of double check. Last year there were about 4,600 new vulnerabilities that were found in the market, and about 92 percent of those could be accessed remotely, and about 75 percent of those were through web applications,So the risks are very high. PC users know they need malware checks and they buy the tools to do that, but mobile app vulnerabilities are out there, and people are taking tremendous risks with things such as e-banking but don’t think of the need for malware on a phone.Part of the problem may be that many users assume that if an app has made it into Google’s or Apple’s storefront, it’s safe.

“Google’s introduction of the Bouncer service is an encouraging step forward for mobile security. Many mistakenly assume that the app store gatekeepers are protecting them from malicious content, but history suggests that detailed security reviews of apps have been lacking prior to their inclusion in the app stores,” Michael Sutton, vice president of security research at Zscaler ThreatLabZ.