App Stores Now At The Forefront of Cyber Attacks, Says ENISA
Thu 15 Sep, 2011 // Chris Allan
Smartphones are destined to outnumber PC's within a few years and are seen as the most common device for accessing the internet, resulting in increased use and download of apps from app stores. Apple currently have 425,000 apps available and Android are not far behind with around 250,000.
The European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) have published a report advocating a baseline set of five lines of defence against malware, regarding app store security.
Authors of the ENISA report, Marnix Dekker and Giles Hogben, said:
“Apps have not escaped the attention of cyber attackers. For example, in 2010 diallerware was found in appstores for Windows Mobile phones and in 2011 malware was disguised as a popular app on the Android appstore infecting thousands of smartphones.”
Dekker and Hogben also say that by using malicious apps, attackers can easily tap into the large amount of private information stored on the smartphone - including location data, SMS, phone calls and e-mails - whilst the smartphone user remains unaware of any potential threat. It is visible that cyber attackers have been focussing on selling malicious apps directly or by using software vulnerabilities in popular applications.
The report identified five lines of defence that must be in place to secure app stores from malware. These are: applications review, reputation, kill-switches, mobile device security and jails.
ENISA believe that the current problem lies with different app stores and the differing approach of smartphone platforms when addressing malware and insecure apps, which for consumers can be confusing. According to Udo Helmbrecht, executive director of Enisa, the report hopes to achieve a “blueprint for how to maintain this head-start and address security across app stores."
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