Hey guys,
I hope you are well 🙂
Kaspersky Lab, a leading cybersecurity company, has recently released a report that sheds light on a new threat lurking on the dark web. According to the report, hackers are offering a service that allows anyone to pay $20,000 to break into any Android phone or tablet anywhere in the world.
The hackers for sale use the existing infrastructure of Google Play to carry out their attacks. This makes it difficult to detect the attacks, as the hackers are piggybacking on a legitimate platform.
This new threat is particularly concerning as Android is the world’s most popular mobile operating system, with over 2 billion active users. The vast majority of Android users rely on Google Play to download apps and games, which means that the potential scope of this threat is enormous.
So, how exactly are the hackers carrying out these attacks? According to the report, they use “droppers” to bypass Google Play’s security measures. A dropper is essentially a malicious app that appears harmless at first, but then downloads additional malware onto the victim’s device.
Once the malware has been downloaded, the hackers have complete control over the victim’s device. They can access sensitive information like passwords and bank account details and even turn on the device’s microphone and camera to eavesdrop on the victim.
While it may be tempting to think that only high-profile targets like politicians and celebrities are at risk from this type of attack, the reality is that anyone with an Android device could be vulnerable. Therefore, all Android users can take the following steps to protect themselves.
Here are some actionable steps Android users can take to stay safe:
- Keep your device updated with the latest security patches
- Be cautious when downloading apps from Google Play
- Use additional tools like Incognito to reduce the risk of being tracked using commercial and government spyware.
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi to access sensitive information
- Enable two-factor authentication for your accounts
- Use strong, unique passwords for all your accounts
- Regularly back up your data in case of a ransomware attack
Let me know if you have any questions comments or feedback. We’re here to help in any way we can, so please do not hesitate to contact us through Incognito’s in-app contact options.
All the best,
Max Roberts,
Incognito Privacy Care team