Last year, Kaspersky products blocked nearly 200,000 new mobile banking Trojans; This corresponds to a doubling compared to the previous year 2021[1]. Google app store , where they disguise themselves as utilities.

Mobile devices and the services that run on them are becoming increasingly popular among users. About half of website visits last year came from smartphones [2]. A fact that cybercriminals take advantage of. In 2022, Kaspersky products blocked over 1.6 million (1,661,743) malware or unwanted software installers.

Banking Trojans are among the most widespread and worrying threats affecting mobile devices. Cybercriminals use banking Trojans to search for data related to online banking and e-payment systems. Kaspersky discovered almost 200,000 (196,476) types of this malware last year - twice as many as in 2021 and thus the highest number in the past six years. Stealing financial data is becoming increasingly lucrative for cybercriminals, which is why they are actively investing in the development of new malware.

Malware on Google Play

Banking Trojans are distributed by cybercriminals through both official and unofficial app stores. For example, Google Play still contains downloaders for the Sharkbot, Anatsa/Teaban, Octo/Coper or Xenomorph malware families, all disguised as utilities. For example, the actively distributed Sharkbot downloader mimics file managers and can request permission to install additional packages required for the Trojan to function on the user's device, thereby compromising its security.

“Despite the decline in overall malware installers, the continued increase in mobile banking Trojans is a clear indication that cybercriminals are focused on financial gain. As our everyday lives increasingly revolve around mobile devices, it is more important than ever for users to remain vigilant against mobile threats and take the necessary steps to protect themselves,” comments Marco Preuß, Deputy Director in the Global Research and Analysis Team ( GReAT) at Kaspersky.

Kaspersky tips for protecting against banking Trojans

  • Apps should only be downloaded from official stores such as Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon Appstore. Although the apps from these markets are not 100 percent fail-safe, they are checked by shop experts and go through a filter system so that not every app finds its way into the app stores.
  • Check the permissions of the apps you use and pay attention to which apps are granted which permissions.
  • Some privacy controls provided by Apple are available to iPhone users. This allows them to block app access to photos, contacts and GPS features.
  • The operating system and apps should always be updated as updates become available. Many security issues can be resolved by installing updated software versions.
  • A reliable security solution like Kaspersky Premium [3] can detect and block malicious apps and adware.

Further information is available at https://securelist.com/mobile-threat-report-2022/108844/

[1] https://securelist.com/mobile-threat-report-2022/108844/
[2] https://de.statista.com/statistics/daten/studie/217457/umfrage/teil-mobiler-endgeraete- an-allen-seitenaufrufen-weltweit/
[3] https://kas.pr/re3t

Source: Press release / Kaspersky

Related to the topic: The creeping danger: What happens if your Facebook account is hacked?


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