Here’s a scary thought: Mobile devices may soon come with pre-installed malware on required system apps. While it might sound like a grim foretelling, pre-installed mobile malware is an unfortunate reality of the future. In the past, we’ve seen pre-installed malware with the notorious Adups threat, among others. “Pre-installed” means the malware comes already installed on a … [Read more...]
January 2, 2019
December 18, 2018
All the reasons why cybercriminals want to hack your phone
When people think of hacking, most imagine desktop computers, laptops, or perhaps even security cameras. However, in recent years, cybercriminals have expanded their repertoire to include smartphones, too. Here are 10 reasons why they may be looking to hack your phone. 1. To infect it with malware Many smartphone users assume they can stay safe from malware and other threats by installing … [Read more...]
December 17, 2018
December 10, 2018
October 29, 2018
Mobile Menace Monday: top five scariest mobile threats
In the spirit of this upcoming Halloween season, we thought we’d provide you with a list of the top five scariest mobile threats in our book. The list is organized from least to most haunting, based on my own humble opinion gathered from several years as a mobile threat researcher. Of course, my opinion has also been formed by the data we’ve collected within the last few months that … [Read more...]
September 24, 2018
Mobile Menace Monday: SMS phishing attacks target the job market
Recently, a co-worker received an enticing SMS message from ASPXPPZUPS Human Resources. It read: Tired of your old job? Join our team today, work from home and earn $6,200 per month: hire-me-zvcbrvpffy.<hidden>.com. Could it be that our dream job awaits via random text message? On the contrary, this SMS phishing attack could cause nightmares for unsuspecting job hunters. Don’t quit your … [Read more...]
September 7, 2018
Mac App Store apps are stealing user data
There is a concerning trend lately in the Mac App Store. Several security researchers have independently found different apps that are collecting sensitive user data and uploading it to servers controlled by the developer. (This is referred to as exfiltrating the data.) Some of this data is actually being sent to Chinese servers, which may not be subject to the same stringent requirements around … [Read more...]
September 6, 2018
Fortnite’s Google Play rebuff sparks security concerns for Android users
There’s been no small outbreak of chaos in mobile land recently, all because of an astonishingly popular game called Fortnite. Here’s the thing: people refer to Android as “open platform,” saying that, in theory, you can do what you want with it. In practice, you buy an Android phone and then you’re locked into apps from the Google Play store. You can switch things … [Read more...]
September 3, 2018
A week in security (August 27 – September 2)
Last week, we looked at dubious antics in mobile land, a peculiar case of spam on the official Cardi B website, and we deep dived into fileless malware. We also explored the inner workings of Hidden Bee, and gave an explainer of Regex. Other cybersecurity news: Huge data breach affects Chinese hotel chain (Source: Xinhuanet) Cryptojacking doesn’t bring in the big bucks [PDF] (Source: … [Read more...]
August 27, 2018
Mobile Menace Monday: FakeGift is the gift that keeps on frustrating
Last spring, we found yet another piece of riskware on Google Play we call Android/PUP.Riskware.FakeGift. Based on Hindi characters found in the code, we can assume it originates from India. With over 50,000 installs before being removed from Google Play, FakeGift apparently kept on giving—frustration to its users, that is. Click to view slideshow. Gift cash money As the name implies, FakeGift … [Read more...]
