{"id":21079,"date":"2021-06-30T22:23:13","date_gmt":"2021-07-01T02:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.psafe.com\/en\/blog\/?p=21079"},"modified":"2022-04-27T14:01:07","modified_gmt":"2022-04-27T18:01:07","slug":"more-fake-apps-are-causing-real-losses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.psafe.com\/en\/blog\/more-fake-apps-are-causing-real-losses\/","title":{"rendered":"More fake apps are causing real losses"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rogue apps remain the biggest security threat for mobile phone users, with hundreds of thousands of new malware apps being generated on a daily basis. Malicious apps are not only abundant, but also especially devious and greedy when it comes to stealing and using your personal data.<\/span><\/p>\n

Phones are a prime target<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cHackers target smartphones because they are so rich with data,\u201d advises <\/span>Emilio Simoni, Research Director at the dfndr lab,<\/b> \u201cour lives are tied to our phones in so many ways: our work, our families, our buying habits, our financial tools, and of course we\u2019re physically tied to them as well.\u201d Simoni continues: \u201cWith accelerometer and GPS functions becoming standard \u201calways on\u201d functions, our phones literally follow our every move.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the risks?<\/b><\/h3>\n

The variety of uses made of personal data are almost as numerous as the types of malicious apps generated. Many apps simply steal personal information and resell it to companies who are eager to gobble up masses of personal data. Browser histories, GPS information, accelerometer data, and network information can be gathered and exported without your permission when an app has been given (or taken) the right permissions. Of course, logins, personal security and financial information can also be more directly leveraged. Ransomware is another common technique, where an app locks up a phone and demands payment to release it back to the user.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe see increasingly sophisticated scams taking place,\u201d Simoni warns, \u201cwhere gathering data is simply the first step in the process. This information then used to leverage the subject or to perpetrate fraud or crimes involving phishing or identity theft.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Simoni concludes: \u201cThe costs can be significant,\u201d which is why you have to protect yourself — both with knowledge, and with a good software solution.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

How to identify malicious apps?<\/b><\/h3>\n

This is getting harder to do all the time, as hackers have become more sophisticated \u2014 which is why we suggest employing a software solution like dfndr security pro. (dfndr security, in premium version, features a SafeApp checking function designed expressly for this purpose). But your own wary eye can also provide a first-line of defense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few key guidelines:<\/span><\/p>\n