Android: the great victim of mobile malware

Android is an excellent operating system. It is stable, fast and has a huge number of applications available. Besides all this, is the most popular mobile platform in the world. But have a problem, or rather, one big problem: the malware. Not the first time we talked about Android and its problems with viruses, but this issue is going from bad to worse.

99.9% of new malware phones discovered during the first quarter of this year are designed to attack Android phones, according to a new report from security firm Kaspersky Lab.

The vast majority of these are viruses trojans, which as you know are among the most used in the world at the computer. Additionally, most of these Trojans are the kind that sends SMS to premium numbers, and thus steal money from the victim.

Kaspersky Lab also detected that there was a "boom" of mobile viruses lately, since the amount of new malware discovered in only three months is equivalent to half of all discovered during 2012.

We hope that Google implement some new technology in software anti-malware soon, because things are getting more serious for Android.

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Virus attacks nuclear power plant in Iran and requires computers to play AC / DC

 

"E-mails sent by a scientist from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran reported that a malware has forced computers to play "Thunderstruck" at maximum volume"

Scientists reported earlier this week that computers of a nuclear plant in Iran were attacked by a virus that forced them to play the song "Thunderstruck" the Australian band AC / DC - and at maximum volume.

Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at security company F-Secure, says he received "a series of e-mails from Iran" this weekend about the attack. The emails have been sent by a scientist at Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI, which stands for Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, in free translation).

One of the emails was published by the analyst in a blog post on F-Secure , on Monday (23/7).

"I am writing to inform you that our nuclear program was once again attacked and compromised by a new virus that ended our network automation at Natanz and Fordo another facility near Qom [...] The automation network and hardware Siemens were attacked and shut down. [...] There were also some random songs playing in several of the workstations in the middle of the night at full volume. "

However, Hypponen ended the post stating that there "can confirm any details. However, we can confirm that the researcher was sending and receiving e-mails from within the AEOI."

It is not the first time Hypponen has been bombarded with e-mails of this type. Last month, the analyst would have written in Wired about his experience of having received an email from the Computer Emergency Team of Iran, who reported on the discovery of the Flame.

For those who do not remember, the Flame is a spy supervirus developed at the behest of the U.S. government in partnership with Israel, in order to attack and destroy the program of uranium enrichment in Iran

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Google Chrome is the product of more attacks

INTECO (National Institute of Communication Technologies), warning users about cybercrime attention to mobile devices and SCADA systems.

INTECO is responsible to warn and inform users about security flaws that exist in operating systems, hardware and applications. Now it happens that your repository has grown vulnerabilities in the first quarter of 2012, so you have 2112 new vulnerabilities with severity levels of medium and high.

First is Google Chome as the product most affected. Note the increase in operating systems like Linux and IOS, this indicates that we should stop thinking that there are operating systems that are safer, we must use the updates.

Third are the vulnerabilities of the operating system for mobile devices from Apple. It is very important that the case of Apple, but that is a mobile operating system, giving us a clue of where is deepening.

And that cybercriminals are pending in the mobile malware (both Apple, Android, Windows Phone, etc.), is a good idea to take care of security on these devices. In addition the report also adds that browsers are up and are a 'prime target' for cybercriminals.

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Malware in an app of IOS can infect our PC

 

Recently made ​​an interesting finding in one of the apps store apps from Apple . Instaquotes Quotes Cards for Instagram is the application of IOS you have malware on their structure. It is a worm known as "Worm.VB-900".
It seems to be harmless for IOS and Mac, but if you use iTunes from a Windows PC then the worm can cause you some problems, but surely the antivirus detect achieved before (if you have it updated of course).
Most surprising is that this is not the first time an app in iTunes / App Store becomes infected, and that not long ago something similar happened with the application Find and Call.
Quotes Instaquotes developers Cards for Instagram said they were working on a solution to the problem. If you have this application, it is best to eliminate him until the next version comes out

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First trojan for the iPhone and iPad is identified by security expert

 

A security specialist Kaspersky claims to have identified a trojan designed for Apple's mobile devices - iPhone, iPhone and iPod. The worm was disguised as a digital application called "Find and Call" and also have a version for Android devices. Apple has removed the malicious application of the store.
In one post , Denis Maslennikov, Kaspersky Lab expert, says that installing Trojan horse (malicious program that opens up security holes on the device is installed), the application sends the contact list of devices to a remote server. The data are used later in this remote server to send spam via SMS. The main target users in Russia.
Maslennikov said he had contacted Apple and Google to report the malicious application, but did not yet return. In App Store, the app no ​​longer appears, but you can still find it via search engines.
For the "Wired," the Apple spokesperson Trudy Muller said only that the application was removed from the App Store for "unauthorized use of your contact list, a violation of the rules of the store."
It is not the first time that an application "steals" the catalog of contacts in iOS devices. In 2008, the game Aurora Feint was removed from the App Store for security and privacy problems. Aurora sent the contact list of users to their own servers without using encryption features.
More recently, the Path, application to share posts, photos and videos, also captured private data from users of iOS. The company apologized for what happened and claims to have deleted the data collected.
The "Find and Call", unlike the Aurora Feint and Path was developed exclusively for stealing data from mobile devices - what would rank as the first malware for Apple's system.

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Google Play and your problem with malware

 

"700,000 downloads in three months"

Google Play, the official app store Google has allowed in the first quarter distribution of 17 applications with malware that has registered 700,000 downloads before being withdrawn. Security researchers have found that Android malware grows at a rate much higher than the planned, just as dangerous.

The data from malware and infections in Android are increasingly worrisome. Trend Micro has said that we have seen so far is not far from the "worst" and provides data that give an idea of ​​the magnitude, increasing the problem. According to security company in the last quarter doubled identified malicious applications from 10,000 to 20,000 in just one month.
In the first three months of the year, 5,000 identified TrendLabs malware designed to infect Android phones. This is a high amount, which at the time and was surprised by its magnitude. However, the figure has soared to quadruple in the coming months.
From Trend Micro have commented that the most worrying is that even in the official store of Google applications, Google Play, have distributed some of the infected files. Specifically, Trend Micro has said that a total of 17 malware application with Google have been sold in Play for long enough to record 700,000 downloads.
The objectives of the cybercriminals seem to remain the same as in previous months. According to Trend Micro, is looking to get money from their victims by charging premium services or viewing special announcements via mobile. In addition, data theft and personal information remains one of the interests of criminals, who have also begun to create botnets with these devices.
"The growth of Android malware is sustained and highlights the criminal interest in the mobile platform and particularly in the Android operating system. Criminals have always followed the behavior of users and continue to do so. As we move to a steadily towards the mobile web, mobile devices offer criminals new ways to generate revenue, "said the director of security research and communications at Trend Micro, Rik Ferguson.
TYPES OF THREATS
Although the volume of threats is increasingly high, the fact is that Android malware can be summarized various groups. The most common type of malicious app, which represents 30 percent of all those found by Trend Micro, is a form that poses as a legitimate application very popular. Trick users imitating another app is the most common.
Another group of malicious apps that users should avoid are those that allow hackers to spy on mobile devices and monitor and control your GPS signal, in addition to the reading of any text and calendar information. Two of these types of threats, so-called Spy Phone Spy Tool and PRO +, were recently discovered by Trend Micro as apps available for download on Google Play.
From Trend Micro users have recommended to bear in mind that Android is an open ecosystem where the level of enabled applications before they are allowed by Google Play is minimal. For this reason, the site has more risk than others who have a tighter control as the App Store.
If Google has a higher risk Play in nature, others stores may pose even greater security risks. For this reason, users should remain cautious about what to download. As a recommendation, Trend Micro has advised distrust of payment applications that are being offered free of charge, unless the company responsible for communicating to preform some sort of deal.

 

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