For as long as there’s been technology, there have been those willing to try and attack it. 2013, sadly, has been no different. That’s why we’re going to take a look at three of the key areas that cyber attackers have focused on in the last year.
Mobile Malware
With smartphones virtually ubiquitous amongst the UK population, it’s unfortunately unsurprising that malware within the mobile market has been on the increase during the last year. Though such attacks only began in 2012, they have grown by a more than reasonable amount.
One of the most common recent scams, which has been dubbed “Toll Fraud”, takes the form of malware that uses the premium SMS or messaging service from the victim’s phone, leading to the creation of a huge bill. By the time that users notice the significant increase in charges, the scammer has already made away with the extra money. According to information from Lookout, 72% of malware detected during 2012 was categorized as being Toll Fraud, and this year has seen no let up in the technique.
Another major red flag for mobile users this year has been the increase in mobile spam. These vary in form quite significantly: in many cases it comes from text messages, but can also take the form of e-mails. These will often contain ‘phishing’ links, which when clicked will lead users into an environment where their data can be obtained by the attacker. Needless to say, it’s important to not respond to any message from someone unknown, and to where possible block messages from anyone not on your approved list so that to avoid yourself from becoming a phishing scam victim.
[Recommended reading: 5 Worst Computer Viruses in History]
Ransomware
A scary title, certainly, and ransomware is a suitably scary prospect. This type of malware quite literally holds data hostage, and forces you to pay money in order to regain control of your computer. Unfortunately, some people are so reliant on their computer that they have no option but to pay up.
Ransomware takes a few different forms. In some cases, it will produce error messages saying that you need to pay for a specific piece of software in order to ‘clean’ the computer’. Other methods are a little bit more devious, with one particular example telling the user that their version of the Windows operating system is invalid, and that they will need to pay for an upgrade. In both cases, the user is forced into paying for something that they already own.
The best way to combat these issues is to avoid opening files that don’t come from trusted sources. Be sure to use a free virus scanner such as AVG before opening any file that you’re unsure about.
[Suggested reading: 10 Myths About Cyber Security]
Social media attacks
Facebook accounts are almost as common today as mobile phones, and are almost as frequently targeted by attackers, to whom social media accounts represent a goldmine of useful information. Scams on social media accounts spread quickly: once one account has been breached, it can then be used to pass the threat on to every profile that’s linked to it in any way, whether through Friends lists, groups or even friends of friends. This can enable scammers to gain access to personal information such as phone numbers, addresses and e-mail addresses. This information can then either be sold to more serious data thieves or used to help access more serious details such as online banking passwords and PIN numbers.
Needless to say, as with the mobile phone issues, it’s important to never reply to any unsolicited messages from anyone that you don’t know. Never ever click on a link you’re uncertain about, too. Finally, be wary of any messages that seem to be from friends, but are written in a manner unlike the one they typically speak in.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, it remains just as important as ever to stay safe digitally. Never open any messages from people you don’t know, and double check any messages that purport to be from legitimate sources.
[Image credit: PresseBox.de flickr, Flickr]
Working or just surfing the internet is like walking through a minefield, with all these threats!
Thanks for sharing, Peter.
I know, it seems scary. But as long as we take the necessary precaution steps we should be fine 🙂
Recently, I have seen all types of threats increasing. YouTube was down at my side, so I opened Dailymotion.
I swear, so many pop ups between the videos and other links and page becoming unresponsive, and after that I scanned my system and found 3 malwares and one trojan.
We can trust no one these days!
None of our device is safe today, whether its your PC or your mobile device. We can’t really be fully dependent upon these antivirus product as their owner themselves are blamed for developing such a virus and malware program. Though we can keep our device safe by not opening the malicious link which spreads virus into our computer. Social media accounts have also become the main target of these malicious program developer as these accounts carries personal information of its users which is quite useful for some people and one can earn handsome bucks with the stolen information. Thanks for this Ransomware thing Peter.
It’s pretty sad how scammers are seizing every available opportunity, so we need to generate more awareness to help everyone!
I am concerned about malware on my Android phone. I installed Avast Mobile Security on it however to fully take use, I need to root the phone. This seems counter-productive to me, as I am told that rooted phone is more vulnerable to exploits.
Are there any other ways to secure a mobile device?
This post is awesome. Thanks for the useful information. I’ve been getting a lot of mobile spam lately. Most of the messages contain links. I usually delete unsolicited messages and didn’t realized the links in spam texts could be harmful in the same way they are to your computer. What baffles me is how the spammers end up with your cell phone number in the first place. I’m very careful about not posting my number online, so how is this happening? Any ideas? Ransomware? I’ve never heard of that. I’m guessing this is spread through links as well?
Some big companies (like social media or even telephone operators) may be unscrupulous enough to sell our mobile numbers to advertising agencies without our consent. Ransomware virus is also spread similarly like any other virus, and is a fairly new threat. Do not trust any unknown “antivirus” that scans your computer out of nowhere. Many things are unfortunately beyond our control, so we have to be cautious on our part!