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.

Comments

 

Other News

Trump’s China setback pushes US to woo India

A week after Donald Trump’s visit to China – the first by an American president in nine years, US secretary of state Marco Rubio arrived in India on May 23 on a four-day visit aimed at resetting Washington DC’s relations with New Delhi and attending the third Quad ministerial meeting.

EU–India FTA 2026: A high‑stakes prescription for Indian pharma and healthcare

India’s pharmaceutical industry stands as one of the world’s market leaders of generic pharmacy with market valuation of USD 50 billion in 2026. Characterised by high volume, low-cost generic manufacturing, with an annual growth rate of 10-12% primarily propelled by exports and domestic demand,

Legends, vignettes and tales from the freedom movement

Robin Hood of Kathiawar and Other Extraordinary Stories from India’s Freedom Movement By The Paperclip  HarperCollins, 348 pages, Rs 499  

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta tells quirky tales from the world of law

The Lawful and the Awful: Quirky Tales from the World of Law By Tushar Mehta Rupa Publications, 336 pages, Rs 995  

Cabinet meet discussed `Ease of Living`, `Ease of Doing Business`

The Council of Ministers has deliberated upon valuable perspectives and best practices relating to boosting ‘Ease of Living’ and ‘Ease of Doing Business’, prime minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.   As he shared details of the Council meeting held the d

India should deepen energy partnerships with Africa

The vulnerability of Strait of Hormuz continues to influence energy politics globally. India is highly dependent on imported crude oil as a significant portion of its oil imports still come from the Gulf ultimately making such disruptions particularly consequential and has immediate economic ramifications


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter