Android

Android users beware: a loophole in the mobile OS allows apps to take pictures without users knowing and upload them to the internet, a researcher has found.

Google is to boost security on its Android devices, by continuously checking apps to see that they haven’t mutated into malicious Android malware, monitoring all apps on Android devices for suspicious behavior, according to PC World.

A new form of Android malware could bypass one of the main warning systems built into Google’s smartphone and tablet OS – allowing malicious apps to ‘sneak’ onto a phone with a relatively innocuous list of ‘Permissions’, then add new, malicious abilities.

A hidden backdoor in the modified version of Android run by nine Samsung Galaxy models could allow attackers to spy remotely on user data – and even snoop on users using hardware such as the GPS system, camera and microphone.

Boeing has unveiled a smartphone fit for James Bond – the Boeing Black, which can connect to satellites and secret government telecoms networks, will self-destruct if tampered with, deleting all data and rendering the device useless.

It is now possible to enable HTTPS secure browsing on every website using Firefox for Android, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has announced.

Researchers as Ben Gurion university in Israel have discovered a vulnerability in Android 4.4 KitKat that allows an attacker to intercept and divert secure virtual private network (VPN) traffic.

At least two recent models of Google’s flagship Nexus Android handsets can be crashed remotely – simply by sending them a flurry of SMS text messages, a Dutch researcher has warned.

“Pinkie Pie”, an under-21 hacker won $50,000 at the Pwn2Own contest, as he used drive-by attacks to take over a Samsung Galaxy S4 and a Nexus 4, both of which run Android.

Cybercriminals are already targeting mobile banking apps as a “way in” to customer accounts – as witnessed in ESET’s discovery of a new, advanced Trojan, Hesperbot. But a new IBM system may help secure smartphones – by using near-field communications chips (NFC) for an additional layer of security. It’s the first system to allow “two-factor”

Most smartphones today contain an accelerometer – without them, the latest fitness apps don’t work – but a Stanford researchers has shown that the sensor can be used to “fingerprint” a device, handing valuable data to unscrupulous advertisers.

Android has become a “primary” target for malware, and nearly half its users are open to attacks due to running old versions of the OS, according to an internal bulletin reportedly from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.

The waterproof metal-fabric pocket ensures users cannot be tracked or contacted – offering a level of privacy that DIY alternatives such as cocktail shakers cannot match.

I made a comment recently that was subsequently quoted in a recent ESET blog – Android “master key” leaves 900 million devices vulnerable, researchers claim – and it appears that comment may have confused one or two people. What I actually said was this: “Security based on application whitelisting relies on an accurate identification of

While many Android users speculate about Google’s removal of ad-blocking apps from the official Android store, Google Play, we consider the risky behavior that is bound to result.

Malware targeting Android devices shows no signs of relenting, despite the enthusiasm of Android fans. We look at key data points and weigh risks to users.

The Android ecosystem has taken the market by storm in the last few years, with hundreds of millions of devices, smartphones and tablets, already in the hands of customers, and more on the way this holiday season. As you will know if you read our recent blog post about malware trends in 2013, malicious code

Android enthusiasts claim to have discovered a new vulnerability on Samsung smartphones that could allow an attacker to gain administrative access to the device through any installed app.

ESET has announced Endpoint Security for Android, which it says is specifically designed for the contemporary business environment and adds another layer of protection to the family of ESET Endpoint Solutions and features all the benefits made popular by the previous version of ESET Mobile Security Business Edition. The new Android solution also includes Anti-Theft,

In 2012 the number of unique detections of malware for Android increased globally by a factor of 17X (yes, that is 1,700%), and we expect the increase in 2013 to be even greater. This is one of the main predictions in the white paper we are releasing today: “Trends for 2013: astounding growth of mobile

If you use an Android phone you may have heard of something called the USSD vulnerability. This allows a nasty piece of malicious software to reset your Android to its factory default settings and permanently delete your data.