Today Smarttech customers have been contacting us via our Online chat and Repair centre in relation to a scam involving callers claiming to be from Microsoft or other legitimate technology companies telling them they have a virus on their computer.
Our customers were asked to download a file from a website and gain access to their computers where their personal details including financial information can be compromised. In some cases they also ask for credit card details.
Read MoreAll platforms with a significant user-base are starting to become a target for hackers & Cyber criminals including mobile phones.
Mobile malware has been around for several years, the first hitting smartphones as far back as 2004. The first mobile virus opened a Bluetooth connection and tried to infect other mobile devices. While the impact on the device was minimal, draining the phone’s battery.
With evolution, the cyber-criminals have developed more sinister viruses, including Trojans that delete files, send, block or automatically reply to SMS messages, change settings or make calls & send texts to paid services or premium numbers owned by the cyber criminals.
However, the risk is very real. In August, Kaspersky Labs manufacturers of Nod32 identified the first trojan virus designed specifically for the Android platform. It takes the form of a media player that secretly sends text messages to a premium number once downloaded. In fact, the looser policies applied to some phone app stores is also ripe for exploitation. In a recent report, a BBC reporter developed his own basic app for the Blackberry which had hidden malicious code.
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