Smartphone adoption has exploded in recent years, and this has not been lost on the attackers who are looking for the best way to separate users from their money and confidential data. There were several examples of attackers sneaking malicious applications into mobile app stores, some disguised as mobile banking apps or games. Other attackers focused their attention on Trojans that forced phones to send SMS messages to premium-rate numbers, running up huge bills. And researchers got in on the act, as well. Nick DePetrillo and Don Bailey showed off some methods for intercepting calls and data and tracking users of GSM phones, and Jon Oberheide waged a sustained assault on the Droid platform and the Android Market. He exposed bugs in Android that enabled data-stealing and found that Google had the ability to remotely wipe apps from users’ phones, without their approval.
Threats Go Mobile
Smartphone adoption has exploded in recent years, and this has not been lost on the attackers who are looking for the best way to separate users from their money and confidential data.
