Malware Targets Android Smartphones

Attention smartphone users: be on guard for various types of malware attacking Android operating systems. Some of the latest known versions of this type of malware include:

Loozfon: This information-stealing piece of malware has multiple forms, but one variant used by criminals shows up in the form of an advertisement for a work-at-home opportunity promising a lucrative payday just for sending out an e-mail. A link within the advertisement goes to a website that pushes Loozfon to the victim’s mobile device, where the malicious application then steals the number of the infected phone as well as contact details from the user’s address book.

FinFisher: This spyware—which can easily be transmitted to a smartphone when the user visits a specific link or opens a text message masquerading as a system update—is able to take over the components of a mobile device. Once installed, the phone can be remotely controlled and targeted regardless of the location of the owner.

For more information, including safety tips to protect your smartphone, read the entire alert issued by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).