Virus Alert – Spring Cleaning Malware (Cleans Out Your Bank Account ) – Coming To A Cell Phone Near You!

Sep 30, 2021 | Uncategorized

There have been multiple reports over the past few months of a new Android malware infection which has been spreading around the world. The most recent alert is that it is here in the U.S. now! This sophisticated malware imitates (the FBI uses the word “indistinguishable”) the Android payment apps of major banks, eBay, PayPal and other organizations to capture credentials. The phone’s SMS messaging is also compromised so that authentication codes sent by text messages may also be captured.

How To Play it safe:

Only download Android apps from the Google Play Store or apps for Apple products from the iTunes App Store. Most financial institutions will publish links on their websites to their apps on the stores. Don’t follow links or download apps from unsolicited emails or emails from unknown sources.Review application permissions during installation of all apps and be sure that the permissions are reasonable for the type of application you are acquiring.Don’t use jailbroken phones. This bypasses the security built into the operating systems and prevents the latest security updates from being applied.Don’t open attachments from unsolicited emails or emails from unknown sources. Think twice before opening an unexpected attachment which appears to be from a known source. Some attacks spoof address of individuals in authority from within your organization. If in doubt, take a moment to make a phone call or send a text message to confirm that the message is genuine BEFORE opening any attachment.Use email providers with good SPAM and Malware filtering.Consider anti-virus/anti-malware for your Android devices.Be extremely cautious when using public Wi-Fi connections.Keep the operating system of all computers, tablets, phones and other devices up to date.