Tech

Latest Android security flaw shows why IT should consider whitelisting mobile apps


Many mobile app security headaches have emerged, including a new one discovered by mobile security company Zimperium Not only does that steal data, but it can also silently control the mic and camera, as well as secretly delete security apps.

For the most part, IT has been pretty good at controlling apps on company-owned devices, but safeguards about added apps after they are given to employees who are weaker than necessary. When it comes to BYOD devices, owned by employees and contractors, IT admins and security need to be much more stringent.

Most require more secure enterprise applications (more or less) in functionality, as well as security-critical applications to protect. That’s where things get sticky. How far can IT and security professionals go in protecting corporate data, networks, and equipment?

On the one hand, the device is owned by the employee/contractor, and they seem to have the power to download any app they want. But is that right limited when it threatens the security of the business? Is the partitioning enterprise system enough? (You already know the answer: No, of course it’s not enough.) When a malware app gains control of a device, it can usually access anything or almost anything.

Consider the latest threat.

Unlike other spyware campaigns that often take advantage of device vulnerabilities, this campaign, called PhoneSpy, hides in plain sight on the victim’s device, masquerading as gateway apps. Android’s legal life, from streaming TV to yoga instruction. However, in reality, the spyware is surreptitiously deleting data from the victim’s device, including login information, messages, exact location details, and pictures. PhoneSpy is also capable of uninstalling any app, including mobile security apps,” note an excellent report in TechCrunch.

“Researchers at mobile security firm Zimperium, which discovered PhoneSpy inside 23 apps, say the spyware can also access victims’ cameras to take photos and videos in real time. real-time, while warning that this can be used to blackmail and spy on individuals and companies. It does this without the victim knowing, and Zimperium notes that unless someone is monitoring their web traffic, it will be very difficult to detect.”

There’s a lot of good and scary thinking in that statement. Let’s start with “unless someone is looking at their web traffic”. That’s great practice, but very few IT operations do that even with company-issued phones, let alone BYOD devices.

The worst part of PhoneSpy is its ability to stealthily delete security apps, which will effectively remove most enterprise mobile security programs.

The real question, of course, is why Google has such weak security checks on its apps. (And, yes, Apple’s system is just as bad.) But not all apps come via Google Play, and PhoneSpy is one of them. It is pushed through social networks and other environments, and users need consent to download.

These kinds of security issues are one of the reasons why Apple publicly take a stance against “side-loading” apps outside of its own App Store. That’s not to say app stores are 100% malware-free, but it’s the wild west outside of those supermarkets.

That’s the reality that enterprise IT – and certainly enterprise CISOs – have to deal with. One solution is to require IT to at least approve any apps that aren’t on the company’s whitelist that are widely available. But that doesn’t mean that admins should make any judgments about individual apps, be it a game, a health plan, or something more sublime. It is necessary to focus on what is dangerous.

And as PhoneSpy shows, there’s a lot of danger there.

Copyright © 2021 IDG Communications, Inc.



Source link

news7g

News7g: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button