Contact us today!
(518) 203-2110

Evolve IT

Evolve IT has been serving the Saratoga Springs area since 1995, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

Alert: New Mobile Malware Spreads via Twitter and Takes Over Your Phone

Alert: New Mobile Malware Spreads via Twitter and Takes Over Your Phone

There are countless threats out there that can mean danger for your business, but one of the most innovative to date utilizes a malicious Twitter account to administer commands to a botnet made up of infected Android devices. In fact, this is widely considered the first threat to actively use a social network in this manner, making it a wake-up call for security professionals and social media users alike.

The app, called Twitoor, is a Trojan that hides on the device and constantly receives commands from its Twitter account. This could include downloading and installing malicious applications, stealing data, or switching to an alternative command-and-control Twitter account. Additionally, you cannot find Twitoor on the Google Play store. If you’re going to download it, you would have to click on a malicious link.

Botnets are commonly used by cyber criminals to spread malware across multiple devices. The idea is to spread their influence as far as possible by creating “zombie-bots” which can be enslaved and commanded to perform roles which one computer could not. Yet, a normal botnet leaves signs that can be used to detect where it’s getting its commands from. Security professionals are often able to find the source of the botnet and shut down the server administering the commands, but with Twitoor, this isn’t so simple.

Due to the fact that the Twitoor-infected systems are receiving information from an ever-shifting Twitter account, it’s able to largely avoid detection. ZDNet explains: “Those behind the malware have also taken additional steps to safeguard Twitoor, including encrypting messages to further obfuscate their activities.” This combination of tactics makes it much more difficult to detect and destroy at its roots, even for security professionals.

Thanks to criminals changing their ways in order to innovate and discover new ways to take advantage of tried-and-true hacking practices, you always need to be wary of malware infections and other online threats. You can never be too careful. We recommend that you contact Evolve IT, especially if you feel that your organization’s network security--including mobile devices--isn’t quite up to snuff.

In particular, we have a mobile device management solution that can help you keep a handle on your organization’s mobile devices. You can secure your devices through whitelisting and blacklisting apps, limiting access to crucial data, and remotely wiping infected systems so that the data found on them cannot be used or sold by hackers. The idea is to take measures to prevent infections in the first place, and promptly respond to infections that do find their way onto the devices.

To learn more about our mobile device management solutions, reach out to us at (518) 203-2110.

Comments

 
No comments made yet. Be the first to submit a comment
Already Registered? Login Here
Guest
Thursday, 14 November 2024
If you'd like to register, please fill in the username, password and name fields.

Captcha Image

Blog Archive

Free Consultation

Sign up today for a
FREE Network Consultation

How secure is your IT infrastructure?
Let us evaluate it for free!

Sign up!

Free Consultation
 

Tag Cloud

Tip of the Week Security Technology Internet Best Practices Cloud Hackers Privacy Email Productivity Business Malware Business Computing Software User Tips Workplace Tips Google Hosted Solutions Microsoft Computer Upgrade Efficiency IT Support Mobile Devices Innovation Smartphone Windows 10 Gmail Network Security Ransomware Hardware Microsoft Office Office Backup Apps Business Continuity Disaster Recovery Communication Operating System Hacking WiFi Facebook The Internet of Things Social Media Bandwidth Firewall Mobile Device Management Money Network Content Filtering Cybercrime Managed Service Provider Website Outlook Smartphones Wireless Technology Android Employer-Employee Relationship Apple History Two-factor Authentication Small Business Phishing Best Practice App Alert Mobile Computing Networking communications Big Data Data storage Safety Data Unified Threat Management Windows Experience Quick Tips Search User BYOD Downtime Help Desk Hard Drives Passwords Displays Streaming Media Shortcut Visible Light Communication Disaster Remote Computing Micrsooft DDoS Heating/Cooling Business Growth End of Support Word Data Management Advertising Recovery Robot Society Sports Google Wallet Writing Business Management Spam Information Technology Running Cable Competition Windows 8 Internet of Things IT Services Presentation Hosted Solution Entrepreneur Windows XP Artificial Intelligence Documents Domains Tech Support Compliance Hacker Drones Retail Social Application Printer Browser Virtual Desktop Wireless Customer Service Managed IT services Unified Communications Securty Document Management Encryption SaaS VoIP Law Enforcement Bluetooth Router Office 365 Cortana Proactive IT Automation Saving Money Analytics Network Congestion Memory Lithium-ion battery Save Money intranet Music Deep Learning BDR Cryptocurrency Social Networking Laptop IBM Public Speaking Vendor Management Virtualization Education IP Address Google Docs Cleaning Holiday Processors Black Market Monitors Government YouTube Keyboard LiFi Staffing Augmented Reality Office Tips
QR-Code