Spammers are very shrewd. They go where money is. With Android-based communication devices swarm the market, they have set their eyes on this lucrative segment.
“With more than 40 crore active Android-based devices and more than six lakh apps (applications) available on Google Play (the Android app store), the number of attacks has nowhere to go but up,” Internet security firm Trend Micro has said in its latest report on the state of cyber attacks.
The fact that only 20 per cent of Android-based devices have security apps show how vulnerable this segment is for attacks.
The ever-growing smartphone population (research firm Gartner said that smartphone sales have grown in the second quarter, while the overall mobile phone sales dipped) is driving the hackers to device newer plans for launching attacks.
Botpanda, Trend Micro says, allows cybercriminals to gain root privileges on infected devices. This contains a malicious library file that makes infected devices access specific command and control servers and hides malicious routines, making detection and removal very difficult to do.
Automated Transfer Systems
ATSs allow cybercriminals to automatically transfer funds from victims’ accounts to their own ones without leaving a trace, Trend Micro warns.
“They can steal banking information when victims are not online. While ATS incidents have been spotted in Europe, the rising number of APAC online banking users means that ATS could be in the horizon,” it cautioned.
Blackhole Exploit Kit Spam Runs have evolved. The mere act of opening spam can lead to several redirections that end with the automatic download of malware.
Spam factories
India is the top source of spam, with 13 per cent share in the global generation, followed by South Korea and Vietnam with a share of 7 per cent each. The other top spam sources include the US with 5 per cent and Pakistan with 4 per cent.
China is the top distributor of malware in the Asia Pacific region.
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