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Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In) has issued an advisory, warning users against a new Android virus that is out on the streets. Named as Android/SmsSend, this virus affects Android smartphones and steals personal information including sensitive data such as passwords.
Scroll further to read more about this mobile virus.

What is Android/SmsSend?

Android/SmsSend is a newly detected Trojan virus that affects Android smartphones.

What does this Virus do?

Once inside an Android device, the virus can perform the following malicious and illegal activities:

• Sends text messages to numbers on the victim’s contact list. These messages most likely contain a link to download the virus itself, or to other threats.

• Sends text messages to premium rate numbers that can lead to high telephone bills.

Steals basic information of the infected device such as:

1. IMEI number
2. Device ID
3. Device type

• Android/SmsSend is also capable of installing spyware on the infected device, which in turn, can spy on what the user does on their phone.
• The virus can also steal sensitive information such as:

1. Pictures
2. Passwords
3. Banking information

• The notoriety level of this virus goes up to a level where it can also track the device’s location, access text messages, crash the affected device, and even disable any firewall protection.

How does Android/SmsSend Spread?

The main source of this Android malware are unofficial, third party app stores.

What Should You Do to Avoid this Malware?

1. Download apps only from trusted, official stores such as Google Play.
2. Always check for permissions before installing an app. For instance, if a Flash Light app asks for your permission to use Internet or view your contacts or media, then avoid installing it.
3. Do not click links in unknown and unexpected emails.
4. Avoid clicking links in text messages from unknown senders. Even if the link seems to have sent by someone you know, verify it first before acting on it.
5. Get a reliable mobile security app that performs real-time virus scan as soon as an application is installed on a device.
6. Use the device encryption feature that is available in Android Gingerbread 2.3.4 and above. Encrypting your device will prevent a hacker from misusing your data even if they get access to it.
7. Never log on to any website while using public, unsecured Wi-Fi networks.
8. Regularly back up your device’s important files and keep them safe.

How does Quick Heal help?

Quick Heal mobile security app detects and blocks this Android malware from affecting your device or its data.


If you come across any incident that is related to the {Android Smssend} virus or any other malware, please do leave your comments below.

Source:
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
gadgets.ndtv.com
http://ibnlive.in.com

Phishing is one of the oldest tricks in the book of hackers. But as old as it might be, phishing still remains the most lucrative tool for cyber criminals; as they say, old is gold. This post tells you about phishing and measures you can take to avoid it.

What is Phishing?

Phishing is a fraudulent activity that is designed to trick the victim into revealing their personal and confidential information. This information usually includes bank account details, credit card numbers, and social security numbers to name a few. There are different ways a hacker can launch a phishing attack on his targets.

Phishing by Email

This is the most common phishing technique deployed by cyber criminals. Fake emails posing as crucial communication from a bank, ecommerce site or known legitimate entities are sent to the victim. These emails contain links to a fake Web site, which usually appears like a legitimate site and prompts the victim to sign in or divulge their personal information. In some instances, the phishing email itself contains an attachment of a form to be filled out by the victim. To trick the victim into visiting the fake Web site or fill out the form, such emails show a sense of urgency or a threatening situation. For instance, the target is informed that their bank account is at a risk of identity theft. To fix the issue, the user must verify their account by providing their banking details. The email might also claim that unverified accounts will be discontinued.

Here is an example of a phishing email that looks like it has come from Lloyds Bank:

                                               [Source: http://www.banksafeonline.org.uk]

Phishing by Call

Password leaks and targeted attacks are nothing new and the latest security bug related to a massive loss of passwords across the world is ‘Heartbleed’. This bug has received a lot of media coverage over the last few days, so there is a lot of confusion about what it is and what one needs to do to fix the issue.
This blog post aims to help you better understand what Heartbleed really is and what you need to do in order to secure your presence online. Heartbleed has affected about 17% (close to 500,000) of the web servers across the world, so there is a high chance that you are affected by this too. With that in mind, here’s what you need to know now.

Fact # 1: What exactly is Heartbleed?

Heartbleed is a security bug that affects servers that use OpenSSL (Secure Sockets Layer) technology. When you log in to your email account, or make a financial transaction online, the server that hosts this activity is protected by the SSL technology, which is denoted by the symbol of the padlock near the address bar and the unmistakable presence of “HTTPS” as a prefix of the URL itself.
Heartbleed is a bug that afflicts this very protective measure and exposes information that SSL attempts to protect. What this means then, is that sensitive information like passwords, credit/debit card details and more are susceptible to this bug and can be stolen.

What this means is that there is nothing wrong with your PC or your antivirus software. This is an issue that needs to be dealt with by the people who run the websites that make use of SSL. Moreover, if you are surfing the Internet you will not be able to tell if a service you are using is affected by Hearbleed or not.

Fact # 2: Which websites and online services are affected?

While most of the sites that have been affected have taken corrective steps already, there are bound to be many more which are still working on it. If you use some of the following services then there is a high chance that your password and details may have been leaked.

Facebook	Gmail	Amazon	SoundCloud
Instagram	Yahoo Mail	Flickr	YouTube
Pinterest	Google	Minecraft	Wikipedia
Tumblr	GoDaddy	Netflix	Dropbox

As you can see, the list is huge. There are several more services that have been affected, so the potential damage here is substantial.

This online tool can also help you ascertain whether a particular URL is afflicted or not. If you carry out online banking transactions, then we highly recommend that you change your account passwords. Also, check this tool to see if your bank’s online portal is affected by Heartbleed or not.

Fact # 3: What do you need to do?

While there is nothing specific that you can do to combat Heartbleed, one major precaution you should take is change ALL your online passwords right away. This will ensure that if any of the services you use have been afflicted by Heartbleed, then at least your passwords will be safe. Apart from this, stay alert about any unusual activity on your accounts. If you feel something is out of the ordinary, take the necessary corrective steps as soon as possible. Moreover, spread the word about Heartbleed and inform your friends and family members as well.
WARNING: Be on the lookout for fake password reset emails

With such widespread activity occurring simultaneously with regards to password changes all over the world, this is bound to lead to several phishing emails about password resets. Be on the lookout for such emails and stay away from fake emails that ask you to change your passwords. Read here for some tips on how to recognize fake phishing emails.

Quick Heal will keep you updated about any further developments and news regarding Heartbleed, so keep checking back for more information.