Latest news with #mobile
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
More than 250 malicious apps are spreading info-stealing malware on Android and iOS — delete these right now
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. You can never be too careful when downloading a new app to your iPhone or Android phone as what may look harmless on the surface could actually be a malicious app designed to infect your device with malware. Case in point, the mobile security firm Zimperium has discovered a new malware campaign which targets users of the best iPhones and best Android phones with over 250 malicious apps spread via 80+ malicious domains. What sets this particular campaign apart is that in addition to posing as utility apps, many of the malicious apps used in it also posed as dating apps along with file sharing ones and car service platforms. Once installed on a vulnerable smartphone, the apps were then used to download a dangerous info-stealing malware capable of stealing all sorts of sensitive personal data including a victim's contacts and even their photos. The hackers behind this campaign then took things a step further, threatening to extort victims by leaking their private info and photos to their contacts or online if their demands weren't met. Here's everything you need to know about this new malware campaign along with some tips and tricks to help you stay safe from malicious apps and the dangers they pose to both your data and your devices. Delete these apps right now Before we go into the campaign itself and how it worked, you should first check your phone to make sure that you haven't installed any of the apps below. If you have, you're going to want to manually delete them from your devices: Pilatess Mfile Zcloud Haikiss WhaleS KingCloud Acloud Cloud-k AceCloud Lovelush LOVESS Slovehome Erotic-s BKing I've highlighted just a few of them above but you can see the full list here (Google Sheet). If you take a closer look at the names of these malicious apps, you'll notice that many of them are in Korean which makes sense given that this campaign mainly targeted users in South Korea. Given that anyone could have shared a link to one of the malicious domains hosting these fake apps, iPhone and Android users worldwide could be impacted. Either way, it's always a good idea to take a closer look at all of the apps you have installed and to delete any you don't recognize or haven't used in a while. From phishing sites to fake apps In a blog post detailing the inner workings of this new campaign dubbed SarangTrap, Zimperium's security researchers explain that potential victims are first tricked into visiting carefully crafted phishing sites. These are designed to impersonate popular brands and app stores which not only adds legitimacy to the campaign but may also entice users to download these bad apps. Once installed, these fake apps lure users in with slick user interfaces while requesting access to loads of unnecessary permissions with the caveat that they won't work without them. To make these apps seem more exclusive, especially the ones posing as dating apps, users are also prompted to enter a valid invitation code. After being entered, this invitation code is sent to a hacker-controlled server for validation after which, these malicious apps then request access to the sensitive permissions they'll use to infect a device with malware and steal personal info from it. Besides acting as a lure, this process allows the malware to remain undetected by the best antivirus software and other security solutions designed to stop malicious activity from bad apps. With the necessary permissions in hand, these fake apps reveal their true nature. While they look slick and polished at first, they contain no dating features or other functionality at all. Instead, they're just a facade used by the hackers behind this campaign to gain a foothold on vulnerable devices from which they can then steal all sorts of valuable sensitive data. When it comes to the types of data the malware spread by these fake apps is able to steal, it can download a victim's phone number and device identifiers along with all their photos and text messages. With all this info, the hackers behind this campaign can easily extort victims, though they could also bundle it altogether and sell this data to other cybercriminals to use in their own attacks. Surprisingly, in addition to malicious Android apps, this campaign also uses a deceptive mobile configuration profile to go after iPhone users. By installing this profile on an iPhone, the hackers are able to steal much of the same sensitive data on iOS including a victim's contacts and photos. How to stay safe from malicious apps Just like with new software on your computer, you always need to be careful when installing new apps on your phone, especially as we now have so much personal and even financial info on our mobile devices. For starters, you want to avoid sideloading apps or installing apps from unknown sources or websites. If you're taken to a site trying to get you to install an app instead of to an official app store like the Google Play Store or Apple's App Store, this is a major red flag and a great indication that you should avoid this particular app altogether. When you install a new app on your devices, you want to pay close attention to the types of permissions it requests the first time that you open it. While it makes sense for a messaging app to request access to your text messages, it definitely doesn't when a dating app does so. If any permissions seem odd or unnecessary, this is another red flag that something could be off with a particular app. Besides being extra careful when installing new apps, I highly recommend that you limit the number of apps on your phone overall. Having a lot of apps installed makes it difficult to find malicious ones and even good apps can go bad when injected with malicious code. The fewer apps you have, the less likely it is that one of them will be malicious or turn malicious later. If you're using an Android phone, you want to make sure that Google Play Protect is enabled as this pre-installed security solution scans all of the new apps you download as well as all of your existing apps for malware. For extra protection though, you may also want to consider running one of the best Android antivirus apps alongside it. While there isn't an iPhone equivalent of these apps due to Apple's own restrictions, the best Mac antivirus software from Intego can scan your iPhone or iPad for malware when plugged into your Mac via a USB cable. Given that downloading and installing a malicious app even accidentally can have very serious consequences, you may also want to invest in one of the best identity theft protection services. They can help you get your identity back after having it stolen as well as compensate you for any funds lost to fraud or a cyberattack. Malicious apps are the easiest way for hackers to establish a foothold on your devices and gain leverage over you and your data which is why they aren't going anywhere anytime soon. This is why it's up to you to be proactive as well as careful when it comes to which apps you download and where you download them from. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. More from Tom's Guide Your Ring cameras weren't hacked over the weekend — here's what actually happened 12 signs your phone has been hacked — and what to do next This Android malware poses as real apps to take you to dangerous sites and flood your phone with spam
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Thousands unable to make calls as EE network down
Thousands of EE customers have reported they are unable to make or receive calls as the mobile phone network faces an tracker Downdetector, which relies on self-reported user data, showed over 2,500 EE customers experiencing outages at 1400 BST, with many also reporting issues with other Vodafone and Three have confirmed to the BBC they do not have network EE spokesperson apologised and said the firm was "currently addressing an issue impacting our services". "We're working urgently to fix this issue and will provide a further update as soon as possible," they networks have seen spikes in reports of outages on Downdetector - but these are likely to be customers from networks unable to connect to EE phone numbers.
Phone Arena
4 hours ago
- Phone Arena
The iPhone's camera goes from good to great with the just-released VSCO Capture app
Do you use anything but the stock camera app on your phone? Yes, all the time! Yes, but not that often. Still haven't tried. No, and I don't want to, thank you very much. Yes, all the time! 100% Yes, but not that often. 0% Still haven't tried. 0% No, and I don't want to, thank you very much. 0% Live camera filters Intuitive controls Real-time effects Seamless editing It's free! More than 50 filters Controls are important Receive the latest Apple news By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy Effects on the go Bloom adds a soft, glowing haze to your images, creating a dreamy, atmospheric effect. It's ideal for enhancing sunlit windows, golden hour portraits, or moody night scenes. You can fine-tune the look using Strength, Size, and Range sliders to control how much the light spreads across your frame. adds a soft, glowing haze to your images, creating a dreamy, atmospheric effect. It's ideal for enhancing sunlit windows, golden hour portraits, or moody night scenes. You can fine-tune the look using Strength, Size, and Range sliders to control how much the light spreads across your frame. Halation recreates the delicate red glow that appears around highlights in analog film, bringing a nostalgic, emotionally rich quality to your edits. This effect adds texture and warmth, with customizable sliders that let you precisely shape the halo's intensity and appearance. Editing and posting It's free! Taking good photos is easier nowadays, but taking great photos is even more accessible – especially if you happen to rock an Visual Supply Company – or VSCO – has just released the VSCO Capture app for the iPhone, and you can download it for free on the App Store There are five things that make the VSCO a must-try for anyone who takes mobile photography seriously:Let's dive deeper and check those out!Instead of capturing a photo and then editing it, why not snap it with a dedicated filter instead? The VSCO Capture app offers more than 50 distinct preset filters that vary from retro and contemporary to vintage or high-contrast film I'm all about shooting RAW and then spending time editing it all picture by picture, but every once in a while, I just enable a high-contrast B&W (black and white) filter on my phone's camera app. It's I want from an app is to allow me to act fast. Moments, save for landscapes or naturemorts, pass by just like that, and often the difference between a good and a great picture is a fraction of a second. The Capture app allows you to toggle flash modes, adjust exposure or change your shutter speed with a UI that's made for in-the-moment manual can capture long exposures (photos with blur) pretty easily. Of course, there's a full auto mode as are customizable live film effects available as well. You can soften highlights with "Bloom" or slap a cinematic warm glow with "Halation".VSCO doesn't offer just an app – there's the VSCO Feed as well. That's a public stream of photo and video posts shared by users on the VSCO app. It functions as a curated, minimalist social feed where creators showcase their visual work, often with a focus on aesthetic quality and artistic expression rather than likes or the VSCO Capture app automatically syncs with the VSCO photo and video editor, where you can further fine tune your shots with the full 200+ VSCO presets and is the best part – 50 film presets is plenty, and it's a great opportunity to further explore your passion for mobile photography. Nobody knows where the next Ansel Adams is hiding…
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
BT names industry veteran Patricia Cobian as first female CFO
(Reuters) -BT Group, Britain's largest broadband and mobile provider, named Patricia Cobian, currently with rival Virgin Media O2, as its first female chief financial officer on Thursday, succeeding long-time finance chief Simon Lowth. The change comes more than a year after CEO Allison Kirkby took the helm at BT amid a transformative plan set in motion by her predecessor Philip Jansen. Lowth, who became CFO in July 2016, played a key role in implementing the company's cost-cutting measures and sharpening its strategic focus. BT has been investing heavily in its British fibre network, which now covers more than 19 million premises. It also plans to cut more than 40,000 jobs and about 3 billion pounds ($4.07 billion) in costs by 2030, and possibly shed its foreign business to sharpen domestic focus. "(Cobian's) leadership, deep industry experience and knowledge will be invaluable, as we continue our once-in-a-generation upgrade of the UK's digital infrastructure and accelerate BT's modernisation," CEO Kirkby said in a statement. BT separately reported a 1% decline in first-quarter core profit, weighed down by falling legacy voice services and handset sales, which offset cost cuts and demand for its fibre broadband services. However, the company said it was on track to meet its full-year outlook. After serving as finance chief for Telefonica's UK mobile network O2 since 2016, Cobian moved into the same position at Virgin Media O2 in 2021, following the 50-50 joint venture between Telefonica and Liberty Global. Cobian will join BT next summer, coinciding with Lowth's retirement. The appointment was first reported by The Telegraph on Wednesday. ($1 = 0.7371 pounds) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
GSM Arena
14 hours ago
- GSM Arena
T-Mobile's T-Satellite service is now available to everyone
T-Mobile today announced the general availability of T-Satellite, its satellite communications service, to everyone, following months of testing with up to 30,000 daily active users. In total, 2 million people have already tried it in its testing phase. Interestingly, three times more messages were received on T-Satellite than were sent. T-Satellite uses more than 650 low-Earth orbit satellites to basically act like cell towers. T-Mobile bills this as "the largest satellite-to-mobile constellation". This works on over 60 phones with no apps required, both Android running ones and iPhones. T-Satellite provides texting service "just like you normally do". It connects automatically when in range, and you'll see a "SAT" icon when it's connected. Since satellites are moving, there may be short gaps in service, but your phone will keep trying to send your message until it succeeds. T-Satellite is included in T-Mobile's Experience Beyond and Go5G plans, as well as for Experience More customers that were part of the beta. If you're on another plan, you can add satellite support for $10 per month. Even non-customers can get T-Satellite "for a limited time" for the same price. The service currently covers the continental US and Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and "parts of Southern Alaska". Source
