Security Firms discover First Android Trojan

Mobile security firm Lookout recently warned that a booby-trapped "Movie Player application program " was infecting Android phones in Russia with a virus that sends out costly text messages . Russia-based Kaspersky Lab also found the malicious "virus " program code concealed in this "Media Player application " that users are downloading to their Android smartphones.

How this Trojan works is that it uses the infected phone to begin sending SMSs to premium rate numbers without the owner's knowledge or consent, resulting in money passing from users' accounts to that of the cybercriminals. The Trojan has seemingly only affected Android telephones in Russia but sporadic cases have been reported in the US and Europe.

Before you panic, this "Media Player" programme does ask users to authorize "services that cost you money" prior to installation. Looking at the positive side, this just reemphasizes the need for users to protect themselves by seriously reviewing the type of permissions that an app will be using before allowing them.

As such, it is not a surprise that a Google spokesman has this to say about the first Android Trojan..
 
"Our application permissions model protects against this type of threat. When setting up an application , users will see a screen that explains clearly what data and system resources the application program has permission to access, such as a user's number or sending out an SMS. Users must explicitly sanction this access in order to proceed with the installation, and they may uninstall applications programmes at any time. We consistently suggest to users to only install apps they trust . In particular, users should exercise caution when installing applications programmes outside of Android Market."

A well timed reminder on how vulnerable we are to malicious attacks and how we should not take security for granted, even when we are on our mobile phones!