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Fake Antivirus Scams Spread To Android
SharkLaser writes "Fake antivirus scams have plagued Windows and Mac OS X during the last couple of years. Now it seems like such scams have spread to Android. Fake antivirus scams on Android work the same as they do on PC's — a user with an Android phone downloads an application or visits a website that says that the user's device is infected with malware. It will then show a fake scan of the system and return hard-coded 'positives' and gives the option the option to buy antivirus software that will 'remove' the malware on the affected system. Android, which is based on Linux, has been plagued with malware earlier too. According to McAfee, almost all new mobile malware now targets Android. Android app stores, including the official one from Google, has also been hosting hundreds of trojan applications that send premium rate SMSes on behalf of unsuspecting users."
I hate a fucking walled garden as much as the next guy, but this type of shit is why users will stay with one. Not that a walled garden can't be hijacked, hacked, or otherwise messed with, but by and large it is a cleaner place to be. It is a win-win, both or users who can't, won't, or are too dumb to be bothered with learning a little software/hardware safety, and with corporations who thrive on control and stifling competition.
Silence is a state of mime.
It seems every week there is another "Oh Nos! Android is infested with malware!" article extolling the virtues of Apple and claiming all Android phones MUST install some A/V app or else your hair is going to fall out, your dog will get pregnant and your lawn will turn brown. Every one of these articles can be traced back to one of the major A/V vendors (who just happen to have a convenient Android A/V app for sale) or Apple. It is all FUD and BULLSH*T. Are there malware out there for Android? Yes. Is it widespread in the US? No. I've worked with Android phones for years, work with several administrators in corporate environments who service hundreds of Android phones, know dozens of friends with Android phones. I have NEVER encountered a single bit of malware. Not once. The few bits of malware that have gotten into the system in the US were quickly taken care of by Google. Tell me, have any of you EVER seen this "widespread malware" out in the field?
And this will work on a personal cell phone....how exactly? Are you gonna take away people's right to own their machines and instead have to get approval from a Google "Genius" or whatever you want to call them before they are allowed to modify their own devices? i think that is pretty much 180 degrees in opposition to the stated purpose of FOSS which was to give the USERS and not the manufacturers control of the system, going all the way back to that first printer RMS wasn't allowed to have the code for.
Lets face it folks it really does come down to only TWO choices, one you let the user decide and then just like real life dumb users will do dumb things and smart users smart things, just like on Windows now, or you let the corporations have COMPLETE control which as we've seen time and time again turns into "its for your own good" which always ends up translating to "its in corporate interests".
Sorry but Linux isn't a magical woobie that keeps nasty old viruses away, its an OS just like any other and TFA proves that given enough users it WILL get pwned just like any other OS. We are talking millions of lines of code folks, and guys that make serious bank when they find a flaw in that code, this really shouldn't be surprising to anyone but the same type that thought because Apple "thought different" they were immune to all bugs too. We have a term for that, its called "magical thinking" and while its made several companies rich with sales pitches like "Just use (insert product) and never have to worry about security again!" IRL it simply doesn't work. there is no magical OS, no magical pill, that will make all flaws disappear and give all users degrees in Internet Security.
Personally I'd rather deal with dumb users than have to give up the right to choose what to run on my systems, wouldn't you?
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.