Related Content
Enlarge Photo
A Blackberry user thumbs through the security options in Ottawa on Tuesday Oct. 5, …
TORONTO - Virus experts are warning that the next big security threat is on mobile phones and that the attacks have begun in earnest.
For months, security researchers have been tracking how hackers were trying to take their exploits to a new platform and infect smartphones with malware that could remotely control the devices.
Earlier this week, Symantec released a report about the spread of an infected app called "Steamy Windows" on Google's Android platform. The simple but popular app makes it look like your screen is covered with steam, which can be cleared off with finger swipes.
Unknown hackers created a copycat version of the app, secretly loaded it with malicious commands, and released it to the web on unofficial app download sites.
It's not the first time such a threat has been detected, said Symantec's principal security response manager Vikram Thakur, but it's far more sophisticated — and successful — than what was previously spotted in circulation.
"It definitely had a lot more features than we've been seeing with Android threats in the past few months," said Thakur, noting the malware enabled a hacker to retrieve data from an infected phone, send out premium rate text messages, show advertisements, and launch any website.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Virus experts warn the next big threat is on mobile phones and attacks beginning
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment