Android-based devices under hacking threat

Owners of mobile phones and tablets using Android technology are under threat from hackers who use malware to lock down their devices until the owners pay a ransom.

Just days after homeowners and businesses were warned to protect their computers from an attack by hackers who had already stolen €75m globally, experts from security firm, ESET Ireland said it had identified the first example of an Android mobile trojan which they had named Android/Simplocker’.

“This malware, after setting foot on an Android device, scans the SD card for certain file types, encrypts them, and demands a ransom in order to decrypt the files,” a spokesman said.

Once the malware strikes, the trojan displays a ransom message and encrypts files.

According to ESET, the message tells the user the phone is locked “for viewing and distribution child pornography, zoophilia and other perversions”. It tells the owner that, to unlock the device, they must pay 260 Ukrainian hryvnia (€16) and it instructs them to do so through MoneyXy which, ESET says, is not as easily traceable as using a regular credit card.

The person is told after payment, the device will be unlocked within 24 hours, but warns: “In case of no payment you will lose all data on your device!” Like the Cryptolocker malware, the hackers seem to be based in Ukraine and Russia.

“We strongly recommend against paying up — not only because that will only motivate other malware authors to continue these kinds of operations, but also because there is no guarantee that the cybercriminals actually decrypt the files at all,” the spokesman said.

Safety tips

ESET gave a number of tips to users of Android technology, including:

* Install all apps from Google Play or other known app stores unless you have a good reason not to;

* Don’t assume you’re safer on your Android than your PC. Links, downloads, and attachments can be just as risky on Android;

* Ensure you are running the latest update of Android available for your device;

* Don’t keep your valuables on your device. Back up your phone when possible;

* Inspect every app’s permissions. Permissions such as ‘Full network access’ or the ability to send and receive SMSs should make you think about installing the app.