Search results for smartphone security | Breaking Cybersecurity News | The Hacker News

As the number of threats is on the rise, Android platform is no longer safe, which isn't a surprise to anyone. Most of us are usually worried more about the security of our desktops or laptops and forget to think about the consequences our smartphones can make if compromised or stolen. Unlike desktops, your smartphones and tablets carry all sorts of information from your personal photographs, important emails, messages to your sensitive financial details. And due to rise in mobile usage, the hackers have shifted their interest from desktops to the mobile platform. Nowadays, nearly all possible threats that were previously attacking desktop platform are now targeting smartphone users. Ransomware , Phishing, Spams, Spyware, Botnets, Banking Malware , OS and Software vulnerabilities, just to name a few examples, but users don't understand the potential threat when it comes to mobile devices. Additionally, your smartphones and tablets are also subjectable mo...

BlackBerry Security Guide by Incident Response Team ( BBSIRT ) On September 30th, we reported that a Russian security company Elcomsoft , has upgraded a phone-password cracking suite with the ability to figure out the master device password for Research in Motion's BlackBerry devices. In response to this, BlackBerry Security Incident Response Team (BBSIRT) released a small Security guide for Blackberry users: The Elcomsoft tool uses a brute-force attack to guess the smartphone password by attempting to decrypt the contents of a media card that has been removed from the smartphone. For this tool to do what Elcomsoft claims, an IT administrator or the smartphone user must have chosen to encrypt the contents of the media card with the smartphone password only. Furthermore, an attacker must have access to the media card from the smartphone, and the tool would have to successfully guess the password. To then use the password to unlock the smartphone, that attacker would also have to...

Once again the very popular and the world's third largest smartphone distributor Xiaomi , which had previously been criticized for secretly stealing users' information from the device without the user's permissions, has been found spreading malware . The top selling Android smartphone in China, Xiaomi Mi4 LTE , has been found to be shipped with pre-loaded spyware/adware and a "forked," or not certified, vulnerable version of Android operating system on top of that, according to a San Francisco-based mobile-security company, Bluebox. Xiaomi, which is also known as Apple of China, provides an affordable and in-budget smartphones with almost all features that an excellent smartphone provides. Just like other Xiaomi devices, Mi4 LTE smartphone seems to attract a large number of customers with more than 25,000 units sold out in just 15 seconds on India's online retailer Flipkart . Security Researcher Andrew Blaich of Bluebox firm revealed Thursday that the brand new ...

In Brief The Smartphone users are fed up with slow security updates, so two United States federal agencies have launched an official inquiry to know how manufacturers and carriers deal with mobile phone security updates and what they are doing to roll out patches as quickly as possible. The Smartphone patch update mechanism is broken, and someone has to fix it. Most smartphone models are not receiving available security patches, and the risk of vulnerabilities , malware infections , and data loss are leaving consumers vulnerable to attacks and putting businesses and corporate networks at risk. The United States federal regulators want to know how and when mobile phone manufacturers and cell phone carriers release security updates to assure its users' security, amid mounting concerns over security vulnerabilities. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in partnership with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have launched its own, parallel inquiry into mobile devic...

Looking for a Secure Smartphone? World's biggest Aerospace company - Boeing is finally close to the launch of its high-security Android Smartphone, called " Boeing Black (H8V-BLK1) ", primarily designed for secure communication between Governmental agencies and their contractors. Encrypted email, Secure Instant Messaging and Other privacy services and tools are booming in the wake of the National Security Agency's recently revealed surveillance programs. Encryption isn't meant to keep hackers out, but when it's designed and implemented correctly, it alters the way messages look. Boeing is the company which is already providing secure communications for US Government officials, including the president. Don't mess with it, It can  Self-Destruct:  Boeing Black Smartphone can Self-Destruct  if it is tampered with, destroying all the data on it. The device is delivered in complete sealed form, any attempt to open the seal of the device will dest...

Just to have a good anti-virus protection app in your smartphone doesn't mean a complete Security. As Mobile Device Security is comprised of security of different features, such as: Data privacy and security features Permission restrictions for snoopy apps A blacklist for undesired calls An excellent backup capability, in case your smartphone gets deteriorated. As well as encryption functionality. Google's Android is a very flexible mobile operating system that can fulfill all these mobile device security challenges if you select the right security applications from Google Play Store. No doubt, Google Play Store has an abundance of suitable options, and it's quite difficult for you to select the ones that meet all your expectations. So, I decided to help you by making a short list of the best mobile device security applications that I always carry in my Android smartphone. Here are the best security apps you must have in your Android smartphone; have a look...

Chinese smartphone manufacturers have been criticized many times for suspected backdoors in its products, the popular Chinese smartphone brands, Xiaomi and Star N9500 smartphones are the top examples. Now, the China's third-largest mobile and world's sixth-largest phone manufacturer 'Coolpad' , has joined the list. Millions of Android smartphones sold by Chinese smartphone maker Coolpad Group Ltd. may contain an extensive "backdoor" from its manufacturer that is being able to track users, push unwanted pop-up advertisements and install unauthorized apps onto users' phones without their knowledge, alleged a U.S. security firm. OVER 10 MILLION USERS AT RISK Researchers from Silicon Valley online security firm Palo Alto Networks discovered the backdoor, dubbed " CoolReaper ," pre-installed on two dozens of Coolpad Android handset models, including high-end devices, sold exclusively in China and Taiwan. The backdoor can let attacke...

Do you own an Android smartphone? You could be one of those 700 Million users whose phone is secretly sending text messages to China every 72 hours. You heard that right. Over 700 Million Android smartphones contain a secret 'backdoor' that surreptitiously sends all your text messages, call log, contact list, location history, and app data to China every 72 hours. Security researchers from Kryptowire discovered the alleged backdoor hidden in the firmware of many budget Android smartphones sold in the United States, which covertly gathers data on phone owners and sends it to a Chinese server without users knowing. First reported on by the New York Times on Tuesday, the backdoored firmware software is developed by China-based company Shanghai AdUps Technology, which claims that its software runs updates for more than 700 Million devices worldwide. Infected Android Smartphone WorldWide Moreover, it is worth noting that AdUps provides its software to much larger ha...

Since the Internet is filled with hackers and cyber criminals keen on hacking networks for valuable information, ethical hackers are in huge demand and being hired by almost every industry to help them keep their networks protected. These ethical hackers, penetration testers, and information security analysts not only gain reputation in the IT industry but are also one of the most well-paid employees in the IT workforce today. But if you lack behind in this field, you required a good computer hacking course to sharpen up your knowledge. This week's THN Deals brings Become an Ethical Hacker Bonus Bundle that let you get started regardless of your tech background. This bundle will walk you through the very basic skills you need to start your journey towards becoming a professional ethical hacker. This package of 9-lifetime courses that includes total 340 in-depth lectures usually cost $681, but you can exclusively get this 9-in-1 online training course for just $49 (after 92...

If US has banned its several major government departments, including NASA, Justice and Commerce Departments, from purchasing Chinese products and computer technology due to suspected backdoors, then they are not wrong at all. A popular Chinese Android Smartphone comes pre-installed with a Trojan that could allow manufacturer to spy onto their users' comprising their personal data and conversations without any restrictions and users knowledge. GOOGLE PLAY STORE OR A SPYING APP? According to the researchers at the German security firm G Data , the Star N9500 smartphone, a popular and cheap handset device in China, comes pre-installed with Uupay.D Trojan horse, disguising as a version of the Google Play Store. The trojan camouflage as the Google Play Store , so it enables Chinese Company to secretly install malicious apps, which creates the whole spectrum of abuse. STEALING WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS The nasty Spyware runs in the background and has capability to steal ...

Android ecosystem is highly broken when it comes to security, and device manufacturers (better known as OEMs) make it even worse by not providing critical patches in time. According to a new study, most Android vendors have been lying to users about security updates and telling customers that their smartphones are running the latest updates. In other words, most smartphone manufacturers including big players like Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Sony, HTC, LG, and Huawei are not delivering you every critical security patch they're supposed to, a study by Karsten Nohl and Jakob Lell of German security firm Security Research Labs (SRL) revealed. Nohl and Lell examined the firmware of 1,200 smartphones from over a dozen vendors, for every Android patch released last year, and found that many devices have a "patch gap," leaving parts of the Android ecosystem exposed to hackers. "Sometimes these guys just change the date without installing any patches. Probably for m...

One of the world's largest smartphone makers is being sued by the Dutch Consumers' Association (DCA) for its lack in providing timely software updates to its Android smartphones. This doesn't surprise me, though. The majority of manufacturers fail to deliver software updates for old devices for years. However, the consumer protection watchdog in The Netherlands, The Dutch Consumentenbond, filed a lawsuit against Samsung, due to the manufacturer's grip over the local market compared to other manufacturers. Last year, the discovery of the scary Stagefright Security Bug , which affected over 1 Billion Android devices worldwide, forced Samsung to implement a security update process that " fast tracks the security patches over the air when security vulnerabilities are uncovered a security update process that " fast tracks the security patches over the air when security vulnerabilities are uncovered, " and that the security updates will...