Tony Y.
Posting #3
Topic: Technology
Title of Article: Virus found in fake Android version of 'Angry Birds: Space'
Author: Doug Gross
Publication Name: CNN
Date of Publication: April 12, 2012
Length of Article: 428 words
A fake version of the popular app Angry Birds: Space has appeared that contains a virus that attacks Android platforms. On Thursday, the web security firm Sophos discovered fake versions of the new Angry Birds game on unofficial app stores. Graham Cluley, and analyst at Sophos, found the file called Andr/KongFu-L, which contains a Trojan Horse virus. The file appears to be a real version of the game, but actually downloads the Trojan Horse virus onto the user's tablets or smart phones. Sophos says the code then downloads even more malware to infect the Androids. This malware allows the creators of the virus to take control over all of the infected tablets and smart phones. Cluley says to be aware of this and potentially more malware risks that attack Androids, and to be very careful when downloading from unofficial stores. Unlike apps from Apple, Android apps are not screened by Google for potential harm. iPhone and iPad users are safe from this virus because Apple checks every app in their one official app store. Google has less control over what Android users can download, and also want to open up both official and unofficial stores, so Google is unable to screen their apps, which can lead to viruses like this new fake Angry Birds program.
Because of the immense popularity of Angry Birds, which has received over 300 million downloads, it has become a target for cybercriminals. The cybercriminals took advantage of Google's open unofficial Android market to release this harmful virus posed as Angry Birds: Space. Rovio, the creator of the real Angry Birds: Space app, confirmed that the fake application exists and urges users to buy from official stores. Security experts also suggest using only official markets, but say that malicious software has also been discovered in some official stores. Android users must be even more careful now when they browse through the Android app market because of these new viruses.
A fake version of Angry Birds on Space App contains a virus that attacks Androids platforms. It downloads Trojan Horse virus onto user's smart phones or tablets, and then downloads even more malware to infect the Androids. The phones or tablets will then be hacked and be taken complete control by the hacker. Angry Birds has received over 300 million downloads, which is why it has become a popular target for cyber-criminals. Android apps are not screened by Google for potential harm, whereas Apple apps are, therefore Android users should be extra cautious when downloading from unofficial stores.
ReplyDeletewhat does "unofficial stores" refer to? is it the Android market or the Jail broken app store? Most apple products can be "jail broken" to allow for free downloads of all apps at the cost of a voided warranty. The difficulty would be that often times un-licensed app creators are completely open to make trojan horses. A similar incident happened on the Sony Playstation 3 network last year, where people were hacking into person information through trojan downloads of the Playstation network. As cyber robbery becomes more common, we need the government to regulate the security of corporations and corporate markets to ensure the confidentiality of our information. Although Apple seems to be "checking every app" in their own store, Jail broken sources are just as vulnerable and hackers are becoming more and more knowledgable on how to bypass cyper-security measures.
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