Windows Phone, Android, iOS — no operating system is completely bulletproof from security problems.
Mobile devices can be a scary thing to think about after major security vulnerability emerged in July in Android, called the Stagefright bug — which lets cyber criminals hack a smartphone simply by sending a text message.
A Stagefright 2.0, which allowed a hacker to gain control of a smartphone via an MP3 or MP4 video, sprang up in October before Samsung, Google, LG and other tech giants enforced monthly security smartphone security updates following the original bug, according to the Guardian.
Apple devices can also be susceptible to security problems.
A hacking team received $1 million from startup company Zerodium after the group discovered an unknown, or zero-day, vulnerability in iOS.
But such risks are not limited to just smartphones.
"I think they're in the spotlight right now because they can do so many things, and carry so much information and interfaces," said Jan Volzke, Vice President of Reputation Services at Whitepages, a contact information and identity verification company.
Here's a quick list of top mobile security flaws you should know:
Clicking on links or opening a suspicious email enables hackers to collect and access sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers and SMS messages.
They can even steal credit card numbers and online banking transactions directly and install spyware on a device to access personal data.
Experts at the Alcatel-Lucent's Motive Security Labs confirmed a rapid increase of mobile device infections, with a 25% spike in 2014, compared with 20% in 2013, according to the Motive Security Labs H2 2014 Malware Report.
Read More: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/5-mobile-security-flaws-article-1.2451562
Mobile devices can be a scary thing to think about after major security vulnerability emerged in July in Android, called the Stagefright bug — which lets cyber criminals hack a smartphone simply by sending a text message.
A Stagefright 2.0, which allowed a hacker to gain control of a smartphone via an MP3 or MP4 video, sprang up in October before Samsung, Google, LG and other tech giants enforced monthly security smartphone security updates following the original bug, according to the Guardian.
Apple devices can also be susceptible to security problems.
A hacking team received $1 million from startup company Zerodium after the group discovered an unknown, or zero-day, vulnerability in iOS.
But such risks are not limited to just smartphones.
"I think they're in the spotlight right now because they can do so many things, and carry so much information and interfaces," said Jan Volzke, Vice President of Reputation Services at Whitepages, a contact information and identity verification company.
Here's a quick list of top mobile security flaws you should know:
Clicking on links or opening a suspicious email enables hackers to collect and access sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers and SMS messages.
They can even steal credit card numbers and online banking transactions directly and install spyware on a device to access personal data.
Experts at the Alcatel-Lucent's Motive Security Labs confirmed a rapid increase of mobile device infections, with a 25% spike in 2014, compared with 20% in 2013, according to the Motive Security Labs H2 2014 Malware Report.
Read More: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/5-mobile-security-flaws-article-1.2451562
