Malicious apps remained among the most widespread threats to Android devices in June, according to a new report by antivirus software maker Dr Web.
Analysts discovered dozens of malicious apps on Google Play, including adware trojans, fake apps used by scammers, information stealers that seek out confidential data, among others, the report said.
The adware trojans were built into apps such as image editing tools, virtual keyboards, system tools and utilities, calling apps and wallpaper collection apps, the research revealed.
“These apps push intrusive ads, subscribe users to premium services and steal social media accounts,” Dr Web said.
Global malware attacks rose about 11 per cent annually to more than 2.8 billion in the first half of 2022, the first rise in such incidents in more than three years, a study by cyber security company SonicWall found.
Malware — a programme typically designed to disrupt or gain unauthorised access into a system — constitutes one of the biggest threats in the IT industry.
It is part of the wider cyber crime sector projected to cause global financial damages of about $10.5 trillion by 2025, according to Cybersecurity Ventures.
Some malicious apps found by Dr Web analysts include Photo Editor: Beauty Filter, Emoji Keyboard: Stickers & Gif, Neon Theme Keyboard, Cache Cleaner and Funny Caller, among others.
To display ads, some of these apps request permission to show windows over other apps, while the remainder ask users to add them to the exclusion list of the battery-saving feature, Dr Web said.
In addition, to make it more difficult for users to detect malicious apps in the future, the trojans hide their icons from the list of installed apps in the home screen menu — or, they replace the icons with less noticeable ones.
For example, the icon named SIM Toolkit, which when selected, launches an eponymous system app for working with SIM cards — instead of the original app, the study said.
Dr Web’s researchers also found malicious apps on the Play Store that infect users’ devices with the infamous Joker malware. They are capable of downloading and executing arbitrary code and subscribing victims to paid mobile services without their knowledge.
One of them was hidden in third-party launcher Poco Launcher, while another was in the 4K Pro Camera app. A third was in the Heart Emoji Stickers collection app, the report found.
Other malicious apps discovered by Dr Web’s researcher are designed to steal data that can be used to hack Facebook accounts.
These two apps (YouToon — AI Cartoon Effect and Pista — Cartoon Photo Effect) disguise themselves as image editing tools that can apply cartoon filters over regular images.
Both apps have been designed to steal data from your Android smartphone that can be used to hack into your Facebook account.
Upon launching, the apps ask potential victims to log in to their accounts and then load a genuine Facebook authorisation page. Next, they hijack the authentication data and send it to malicious parties, according to Dr Web researchers.
Other malware apps are Water Reminder — Tracker & Reminder, which purportedly helps users drink more water and stay hydrated, and Yoga — For Beginner to Advanced, a yoga curriculum app.
They decrypt and launch the malicious component hidden inside file resources, which covertly load various websites. Next, this component simulates user actions and automatically clicks on interactive elements located on these sites — for example, banners and advertisement links, the Dr Web report said.
Another threat uncovered was a fake app for online communication called Chat Online, according to the research.
The app loads different websites, including fraudulent ones. Some of them simulate the process of registering for online services and potential victims are asked to provide their mobile phone number, email and other personal data. This information could subsequently end up on the black market and be used by scammers, the study revealed.
“On other websites, a dialogue with a real person is imitated, and the user is then asked to pay for full premium access to continue chatting. Any user agreeing to this can end up not only having their account debited for a one-time set amount or being subscribed to a paid service they don’t need, but also losing all their money — if cybercriminals get hold of their bank card details,” Dr Web researchers said.
Full list of malicious apps found by Dr Web
- Photo Editor: Beauty Filter
- Photo Editor: Retouch & Cutout
- Photo Editor: Art Filters
- Photo Editor — Design Maker
- Photo Editor & Background Eraser
- Photo & Exif Editor
- Photo Editor — Filters Effects
- Photo Filters & Effects
- Photo Editor: Blur Image
- Photo Editor: Cut, Paste
- Emoji Keyboard: Stickers & GIF
- Neon Theme Keyboard
- Neon Theme — Android Keyboard
- Cache Cleaner
- FastCleaner: Cache Cleaner
- Call Skins — Caller Themes
- Funny Caller
- CallMe Phone Themes
- InCall: Contact Background
- MyCall — Call personalisation
- Caller Theme
- Caller Theme
- Funny Wallpapers — Live Screen
- 4K Wallpapers Auto Changer
- NewScrean: 4D Wallpapers
- Stock Wallpapers & Backgrounds
- Notes — reminders and lists
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UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Profile Box
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Mohammed Toraif
Based: Manama, Bahrain
Sector: Sales, Technology, Conservation
Size: (employees/revenue) 4/ 5,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($100,000)
Investors: Two first-round investors including, 500 Startups, Fawaz Al Gosaibi Holding (Saudi Arabia)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
Under 19 World Cup
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
