Go slow on mobile apps, they may jeopardize your data

A threat report by McAfee Labs speaks of over 300 malware affecting smart phones everyday

GN Bureau | February 24, 2015


#mobile   #smart phones   #data   #mcafee   #security   #computer  

If you are mobile app crazy, go slow as app providers have been ignoring the most basic secure sockets layer (SSL) vulnerabilities and putting your data at risk. More than 380malwares are affecting the smart devices every minute says McAfee Labs Threats Report: February 2015. The security firm has detected potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) on 91 million systems each day.

"The vulnerable data included usernames and passwords and in some instances, login credentials from social networks and other third party services," the report says.

It has been reported that the malware samples have grown by 14 per cent during the fourth quarter of 2014. Asia and Africa are reportedly registering the highest infection rates.

The security firm sees PUPs becoming more and more aggressive, posing as legitimate apps while performing unauthorized actions such as displaying unintended ads, modifying browser settings, or collecting user and system data.

McAfee Labs tested the 25 most popular apps for vulnerable mobile apps last month. It found that 18 still have not been patched despite public disclosure. The list was prepared by the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) at Carnegie Mellon University.

It was found that 18 have still not been patched despite public disclosure, vendor notification, and, in some cases, multiple version updates addressing concerns other than security. The report said most downloaded vulnerable app in this group is a mobile photo editor with between 100 million and 500 million downloads. The app allows users to share photos on several social networks and cloud services.

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