Android Smartphone Attacks

The mobile phone is not like the old days when it was just used to make calls and send the odd text message. The mobile phone is now a Smartphone, a computer in your pocket which runs an OS just like a standard computer with plenty of Apps to play with. Almost everyone now has a Smartphone which means there are millions of us globally connected to a digital mobile network. Being computer based this now gives hackers another chapter in there quest to try to gain access to our personal information or completely destroy all data on a advice  in a new way.

Just recently announced there is a new highly advanced malware called Mazar that is being used to attack Android phones via text messaging. The message incorporates a web link. If a user clicks on the link, an attacker can gain full administrator-level control of the phone and perform tasks such as sending premium text messages, accessing or changing confidential data, making phone calls, steal passwords and information from web sites accessed on the phone.

“Over one billion devices are protected with Google Play which conducts 200 million security scans of devices per day,” a Google spokeswoman said.

“Fewer than 1% of Android devices had a Potentially Harmful App installed in 2014, and fewer than 0.15% of devices that only install from Google Play had a Potentially Harmful App installed,” she added.

Advice to users

• Never tap on web links in text messages from unfamiliar phone numbers
•  Be cautious of links even if the message appears to be from a known contact since sometimes this can be spoofed
• Always keep an up-to-date Anti-virus app on your Android devices
• Avoid unknown and unsecured WiFi hotspots
• Keeping your WiFi turned OFF when not in use