With the ever increasing and prevalent use of smartphones, there is bound to be problems that arise as well. A lot of people think that only computers such as laptops and desktops can become infected with malware and the like, but this is not the case. As more and more people are using smartphones, there is more and more of a reason for attackers to target their users. It is actually quite an enticing prospect, as most smartphone operating systems and apps have only been around for about 10 years now, if not less. This means there hasn’t been as much time to make sure they are secure, that the apps used on them are well built. The industry moves so fast within the smartphone community, that security is a lot of the time pushed down on the list of priorities. This allows attackers to have an easier time in exploiting a programs flaws, and using that to gain information on the user. With a new zero-day (an exploit that has just been found and yet to be patched) found in googles Chrome app for phones, attackers are able to gain full access to what a user has on their phone. This can include bank details, personal information
such as credit card numbers and SSN. The attackers used googles adsense program to spread their malware via ads displayed by google, which would automatically download the infected file. There is not much in the way of mobile phone security yet, many firms are just starting to make their footprint in the industry.
source: http://www.securityweek.com/attackers-exploited-chrome-zero-day-deliver-android-trojan
I find this article extremely interesting. Especially in today’s day and age of technology, the world of NFC has rapidly grown to accommodate several supplements such as Apple pay or Google Wallet. With our information immensely dispersed throughout these outlets, it becomes alternatively easier for hacker to find and steal our information. Cybersecurity becomes more and more of a threat that endangers all of our information. In fact, hackers have been able to gain traction and more information on the user based off of their social habits. Often times, this “online presence” and social presence can be more of a problem than a benefit. By being able to mimic or steal the user’s identities, security needs to be more relevant. Like Martin aptly puts it, there is no smartphone that is safe just because of its brand. Instead, take precautions in order to maximize the duration of being hack-free.
This is a very interesting article because of the relevance to people in society today. You always hear people with iPhones stating that because they have an iPhone, they cannot get a virus. This is simply not the case. I personally help individuals solve issues related to viruses on their phones and laptops. Everyday, I have people come in with phones saying that they believe there is an issue with their phone and when you analyze their data, malware can be seen. However, the issue is not that there isn’t software that can’t prevent viruses, but that most individuals are ignorant to the security that is necessary. People are blind to the software that is available as well as the essential need for it. To completely resolve the issue, users could install programs such as CM security that relies on the user granting access to new sites and sources while notifying the user of its risk. Also, programs like these do regular scans which resolve all issues within a device. If people were made more aware of the threat and the software that can protect it, then the issue itself would be alleviated.