Tag Archive for: device
Delete these malware apps from your Android device right now!
A recent virus attack on Android smartphones makes it possible for hackers to remotely control your device and access all of your data.
Hook, a new malware created by the same hackers who made the Android banking viruses BlackRock and ERMAC, opens up new avenues for remote interaction and access to files saved on devices.
Recall that BlackRock made it possible to steal your money and the passwords to all of your banking applications, whereas ERMAC can target cryptocurrency wallets by stealing the victims’ contact information and bank IDs. Due to the fact that fraudulent apps from the Google Play Store were in use to spread the infection. Hundreds of thousands of smartphones were affected.
Hackers are able to control your smartphone from a distance
The way the hackers choose to use this new malware makes it unique. It offers all the features of its predecessors, on which it is built. And would be offered for rent for slightly more than $5,000 per month.
Its primary capability, though, is the capacity to seize control of victims’ devices. Additionally, it expands its abilities with Remote Access capabilities, joining Octo and Hydra that can perform full device takeover (DTO) and finish a full fraud chain, from PII exfiltration to transaction, with all the steps in between, without the need for additional channels, according to Dutch cybersecurity firm ThreatFabric.
A “File Manager” command converts the virus into a file manager. Enabling hackers to download particular files of their choice and acquire a list of all things stored on the device. Another command for the popular instant messaging program WhatsApp allows Hook to preserve all chats. And even permits hackers to send messages using the victim’s account.
This malware is available on the global market, unlike other malware. In the US, Australia, Poland, Canada, Turkey, UK, Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal, Hook is focusing on banking apps.
Delete these 34 dangerous malware apps from your mobile
The Google Play Store has been the target of fresh malware. The official Android and Chrome OS app stores’ security measures do not appear to have been able to stop a total of 34 apps, all of which appeared to be…
2023 Federal Tech Trends: Device Lifecycle Management Is Helping with Compliance
Establish a Holistic View of All Devices
Device lifecycle management helps agencies by cataloging minute details of each device in the agency’s environment. Device lifecycle management also can be part of a larger IT asset management system that involves software and networking equipment.
It is a key tool for IT leaders to know where each device is in its lifecycle and when it might be time to refresh or retire the asset.
As far as compliance is concerned, device lifecycle management is a way for IT leaders to know where the agency’s information lives and how it’s secured.
“One of the biggest things is taking security into account in the entire lifecycle,” Frazier says. “We still think of things as secure after the fact. We put it out there and oh, by the way, let’s make it secure. We can’t do that.
“As IT leaders, we have to be thinking for everything we build, from the time that we have it as a thought in our brain, we should be planning what the security is for that architecture,” he says. “We have to be thinking about the security implications.”
Conversations on device lifecycles often revolve around software because, as Frazier notes, “device lifecycle is software lifecycle,” and keeping both up to date is “a never-ending prospect.”
Process and policy are foundational to IT asset management, write David Comings and Randi Coughlin of CDW in a blog post. “They can ensure that unapproved or malicious downloads are discovered on the network and help automate security and compliance practices.”
EXPLORE: Federal agencies lead other industries in zero-trust adoption.
Consider the Costs of Managing Devices
Finances can be a limiting factor when establishing a device lifecycle management system. The agency must consider the cost of acquiring new devices and the cost of managing them, including efforts to maintain security and compliance.
On one hand, keeping devices in use for a longer time lowers the overall cost of ownership, but it extends the energy and resources of the IT team to manage them.
“The longer you’re hanging on to devices, the more types of things you’re likely to be supporting — the more varieties of desktop models or…
Ways to Implement Multifactor Authentication Without a Mobile Device
Passwords are hard to remember and even harder to change periodically, and it’s increasingly difficult to devise strong credentials. Instead of confronting the challenge, many users rely on weak passwords and reuse them for multiple accounts. This makes it easy for cybercriminals to guess credentials or obtain them via phishing attacks.
Once gathered, credentials can be sold on the dark web. Then, both the original criminal and hordes of other attackers can gain access to personal and work-related systems and data.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) and multifactor authentication (MFA) are accepted ways to make credentials much less vulnerable. 2FA relies on a combination of something you know (e.g., username/password) and something you have (e.g., your mobile phone or computer, a keycard or a USB) or something you are (e.g., a scan of your iris or fingerprint) to ensure that only authorized individuals can access sensitive systems and information.
MFA can involve all three factors. With MFA, even if the username/password combination is stolen, accessing an account is extremely difficult because criminals won’t be able to complete the additional authentication steps.
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When MFA and Mobile Devices Don’t Mix
Common methods of implementing MFA often rely on the use of mobile devices. When an SMS message, a one-time password or a push notification is sent, it is commonly delivered to a user’s smartphone. That said, there are some risks associated with sending SMS, one-time password or push notifications for MFA. When implemented improperly or as the sole security method, messages could be hacked and codes intercepted. In fact, the U.S. government has recommended that no MFA solution should rely solely on SMS verification tools.
Ensuring Protection Outside of Mobile-Based MFA
To fill these gaps and ensure 100 percent MFA coverage, agencies may consider hardware security keys. The key is typically a physical device, often a USB drive that only grants access to accounts while it is plugged into a computer. It provides a high level of protection against phishing and hacking because no…