TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, – ANDROID users have been alerted to a malicious computer programme cyber criminals are using to steal users’ mobile banking.

The banking Trojan, Gugi The Gugi, that can bypass new Android 6 security features designed to block phishing and ransomware attacks.

Through the malicious programme, cybercriminals overlay their genuine banking apps with phishing apps, and to seize credit card details by overlaying the Google Play Store app.

The modified trojan forces users into giving it the right to overlay genuine apps, send and view SMS, make calls, and more.

It is spread through social engineering and its use by cybercriminals is growing rapidly.

Between April and early August 2016, there was a ten-fold increase in its number of victims.

Roman Unucheck, Senior Malware Analyst, Kaspersky Lab, said cybersecurity is a never-ending race.

OS systems such as Android are continuously updating their security features to make life harder for cybercriminals and safer for customers but cybercriminals are relentless in their attempts to find ways around this.

“The security industry is equally busy making sure they don’t succeed. The discovery of the modified Gugi Trojan is a good example of this. In exposing the threat, we can neutralise it, and help to keep people, their devices and their data safe,” Unucheck said.

Kaspersky Lab advises Android users against automatically agreeing to hand over rights and permissions when an app asks them to do do.

They must avoid clicking on links in messages from people they do not know and exercise caution at all times when visiting websites.

“If something looks even slightly suspicious, it probably is,” Unucheck said.
– CAJ News