With almost two billion users, the Android operating system still has more than 65% control over the global mobile market. While this is a testament to popularity, it’s also a huge target for cyber criminals. Recently, there has been an increase in cybersecurity threats through android with the rise of MoqHao. Moqhao is spread by way of phishing campaigns that pretend to be Chrome browser updates. Users are sent SMS messages with links that ask them to install fake updates. Once they have installed these fake updates, users are then told to make the data infested software their default browser, which then compromises their devices security.
This problematic threat isn’t only confined to one area though, it’s infected several countries with their most notable being Japan and South Korea. In some cases it even infects legitimate applications and disguises itself as them. Using real icons and names makes it incredibly hard for your average user to differentiate between what’s safe and what isn’t.
Kaspersky offers a solution of installing secure software on your device to help prevent any infections from happening on your device, however there is good news. If you have Google Play Protect activated on your smartphone then you’re already protected against these types of threats. Regularly updating security patches can also greatly reduce your risk of being targeted by MoqHao or similar cyber threats.
As mentioned before, no matter how much we upgrade our measures there will always be someone trying harder to take our information from us. That’s why despite Android’s massive control over mobile technology we cannot afford to drop our guard when using the service that millions use every day and live off of! Be aware of what you download onto your device and know how it functions.
