Monday, February 14, 2011

Mobile apps emerge fertile ground for cybercrime

As the market is flooded with latest models of mobile devices like high-end phones, smartphones, tablets and 3G-enabled handsets, which enable mobile users to access internet handily, cyber criminals are scouting new ways for making money.

Devices with a huge amount of storage capacity are popular targets for criminals. According to experts, security tools used in mobile phones are not as advanced as those used in computers.

However, as more users access internet from expanding pool of devices, web-based threats will continue to grow in size. “The growth of smartphones and faster data speeds will also increase the possibility of infection. As criminals devise ways to make money out of exploiting mobile technologies, mobile users will grow increasingly vulnerable,” said Amit Nath, country manager, India & Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), Trend Micro.

For example, a mobile trojan if downloaded on to a phone can control the phone. The attacker can make expensive premium calls or SMS from a subscriber’s phone without his knowledge and the subscriber will be surprised to see his mobile bill. It can also do other things: It can send the user’s location coordinates, device identifiers (International Mobile Equipment Identity and International Mobile Subscriber Identity). It can also download and prompt the user to install an application.

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