Mobile security

The unfortunate implications of a well-intentioned change to Google Play Developer policies – and the negative impact it has on ESET’s Android app customers

For Android, malware detections were down 27% compared to the first half of 2017; for iOS, they decreased 15% compared to the same period last year

After Epic Games shunned Google Play, debates about threats faced by Android users have taken on a whole new tenor. Joining us to add his voice to the mix is ESET Malware Researcher Lukáš Štefanko

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: avoid installing apps from outside Google Play. But what if you’re itching to battle it out in Fortnite?

Malware in the official Google store never stops appearing. For cybercriminals, sneaking their malicious applications into the marketplace of genuine apps is a huge victory.

While it certainly doesn’t hurt to ask for help from local law enforcement, know that even major cities may not have the expertise or the bandwidth to investigate compromised mobile devices. The most important objective is to take steps to make sure you’re safe. Ask for help, but do not wait for others to help you.

Granted, not all that glitters is gold, and mobiles also come with some drawbacks in terms of the protection of information. There are a number of risks that users may face when trying to secure their information on mobiles and tablets.

For a user, it can be difficult to figure out whether an app is malicious. First off it is always good only to install applications from the Google Play store, since most malware is still mainly spread through alternative stores.

In all the cases we investigated, the final payload was a mobile banking trojan. Once installed, it behaves like a typical malicious app of this kind: it may present the user with fake login forms to steal credentials or credit card details.