I don't know about you, but I've always thought that MACS were generally safer than Windows machines, based on personal experience with the blue screen of death. That is not so true anymore, as Apple machines gain market share in the home and corporate environment. Fast forward a few years and I feel pretty safe on my iPhone too...but the truth is that mobile users have a 30 percent likelihood of clicking on a malicious link too. The explosive growth of smart phones (especially Android) has apparently inspired bored hackers to invent new forms of entertainment for themselves.
"Web-based threats such as phishing attacks do not discriminate based on platform, while others, such as Websites containing browser exploits, are targeted at a specific operating system." In other words, when you click on on a dangerous link in an email or a Social Network post, you can land on web pages that can be harmful to your phone's OS and your personal information !!
According to this CNET article, there are new techniques to distribute the malware, including "malvertising" in which mobile ads direct users to a malicious site that automatically downloads malware when visited.
Even worse, there are approved Apps out there that seem safe upon initial installation, but then when upgrading later, you are then infected.
BE WARNED: To stay safe, mobile users should only download apps from trusted sources, pay attention to the address of URLs they click on, and be on alert for unusual phone behavior that could signal an infection.
No comments:
Post a Comment