If the death of online privacy rules wasn’t enough for Internet Service Providers and advertisers to celebrate, Verizon has planned to pre-install spyware on customers’ Android devices in order to collect their personal data.
The telecom giant has partnered with Evie Launcher to bring a new application called ‘AppFlash’ — a universal search bar that will come pre-installed on the home screens
This is a story that began 18 years ago. If you are a long time gamer like me, you know it well: Company starts developing a game, company decides the game is not up to standard, company decides to scrap game. But then something happens …
The post Beware of crafty WarCraft malware appeared first on Avira Blog.
Don’t blame the ‘Hand of God’ for those ads on your smartphone
The post Adware puts on football championship kit appeared first on Avira Blog.
Security experts estimate 12 million users have been enticed to download software from the French firm Tuto4PC whose programs and silently install backdoors on PCs.
Owners of shiny new Android phones have been getting more ads – and sending out a lot more of their private data – thanks to a recently uncovered family of adware.
The post Trojan adware hits budget Androids – and some well-known apps appeared first on Avira Blog.
Despite what your smartphone may be telling you, battery viruses do not exist – but adware and battery-sucking apps certainly do.
The post No, your battery doesn’t have a virus appeared first on Avira Blog.
Researchers discovered a Mac OS X variant of the Windows-based Pirrit adware that creates a proxy server on infected Mac computers and injects ads into webpages.
Banking, shopping, email. We do things on our phones that used to only be done on our desktop PC. Hackers know valuable data is stored on people’s phones, and they increasingly find new ways to attack mobile users.
These devices have information on them that is valuable to hackers
The most common mobile threats are adware packaged as fun gaming apps that provide little value and spams users with ads. SMS attacks are malware which sends unauthorized premium SMS or makes premium-service phone calls. This results in a large monthly bill for the user and a significant source of revenue for cybercrooks.
The most aggressive malware is mobile ransomware. Simplocker was the first Android ransomware to encrypt user files, and now there are thousands of variations that make it nearly impossible to recover the encrypted data on a smartphone.
Privacy is an issue with vulnerabilities such as Certifi-gate and Stagefright, both of which can be exploited to spy on users. Certifi-gate put approximately 50 percent of Android users at risk, and Stagefright made nearly 1 billion Android devices vulnerable to spyware.
Avast Mobile Security for Android scans mobile devices and secures them against infected files, phishing, malware, and spyware. The app provides people with the most advanced mobile malware protection available, now even faster with Avast’s leading cloud scanning engine. Install Avast Mobile Security for free!
Because cybercrooks take advantage of unsecure routers and Wi-Fi hotspots, we added Wi-Fi Security which notifies the user when connecting to an unsecure router. The user quickly identifies the security level of Wi-Fi hotspots and can evaluate the risks and decide whether to disconnect or use a VPN instead.
Privacy concerns range from permission-hungry apps to nosy children. Avast Mobile Security’s Privacy Advisor informs the user about what data apps have access to and ad networks included within apps. To defend their personal data against prying eyes, users can now lock an unlimited number of apps on their device using the App Locking feature.
Avast Mobile Security is available for free in the Google Play Store.
If you are attending Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, February 22 – 25, please visit Avast to see the app in hall 8.1, booth H65.
The past year was full of achievements, but the security outlook for 2016 is going to be even more challenging.
The post Avira CEO: A look back at 2015 and our security outlook for 2016 appeared first on Avira Blog.
Another day, another malware to tackle. It seems that hackers are churning out new ways to trick us on a weekly basis as security researchers have uncovered the latest threat to Internet users. Despite the likes of Google strengthening its security to combat these attacks, the culprits are continuously changing and adapting, and this latest adware has the potential to lead to serious privacy issues and even identity theft.
Named eFast Browser, this new adware seemingly works in the same way as many similar adwares that we’ve seen in the past – it bombards your browser with annoying pop-ups and redirects you to unwanted websites, while tracking your every move online, allowing more frustrating advertisements to be sent your way. What makes eFast Browser unique, however, is that unlike previous adwares which looked to take over your current browser, it actively sets out to replace your browser by deleting Chrome and taking its place. In doing so, it hijacks as many links and file associations as possible and features an icon that bears more than a passing resemblance to the Chrome icon.
The software comes from a company calling itself Clara Labs, which is also behind other similar browsers such as BoBrowser, Tortuga, and Unico. All claim to be legitimate and improve the Internet browsing experience yet none provide the functionality promised. The developers state that eFast Browser is a legitimate chromium-based web browser that largely improves the Internet browsing experience by generating the most relevant search results, displaying special deals or discounts available on shopping websites, etc. However, users need to be aware that adware-type applications such as eFast Browser are solely designed to generate revenue for the developers with little care for the user experience.
The most worrying aspect of this malicious adware is that it gathers information on your browsing which it then shares with third parties. The data that it gathers has the potential to be personally identifiable which, in turn, could lead to problems such as identity theft.
According to PCrisk, the adware tries to get on your computer by burrowing itself into the installers for free software from dubious sources on the web. The experts recommend a two-step process to avoid accidentally installing eFast Browser and other potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) on your computer. You should “never rush when downloading and installing software – use the ‘Custom’ or ‘Advanced’ settings and closely analyze all steps. Furthermore, all additionally-included applications should be cancelled, since bundled software is often classed as rogue, and thus, should never be installed.”
As always, when you are using the Internet it pays to be cautious. By following a few simple steps you can be assured that your online experience won’t turn out to be a frightening one. Cybercriminals are lurking in every part of the web, so always keep your eyes peeled!
The post How to avoid Efast Browser, the latest adware to hit Chrome appeared first on MediaCenter Panda Security.
