2023-09-05 12:47:00
A new report released by Kaspersky on Monday (04) points out that the Brazil has the highest rate of malware on mobile devices in Latin Americawith 1.2 million threats detected, according to the 2023 Threats Outlook. In addition, the country ranks 5th in the global ranking of nations most targeted by cyber attacks.
The cybersecurity company detected 2.3 million malware infection attempts in Latin America, that is, an average of five attacks per minute. At the top of the partial ranking, Brazil is followed by Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Chile. Spy apps and banking trojans are at the center of experts’ concerns.
According to the survey, the main threats detected are applications that display unwanted , but there are other types of attacks that draw attention due to their sophistication, degree of severity and risk to users’ digital and physical security.
One of the company’s alerts is Cerberus, a formally distributed spying application that can be used to track partners, which might be shaped into stalking crimes – also known by the English term “stalking”. In these cases, spyware begins to be treated as “stalkerware”.
Data gathered in a parallel study by Kaspersky show that Brazil is the country most affected by this type of crime in Latin America, in addition to being the second with the highest stalkerware detection rate in the world.
Another alert is for the SpyLoan, a personal loan application with very high interest rates which cannot be downloaded through the official platforms for Android and iOS — the main operating systems for cell phones and tablets in Brazil. Like many types of malware, this service is often advertised in advertisements on social networks.
If the user does not pay the amount borrowed with interest, the application blocks the victim’s cell phone. Personal information — including private photos — can also be stolen with a focus on extorting the person into paying what they owe. This financial model has shown concern in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Brazil.
Finally, we highlight the banking trojans created in Brazil, such as Banbra and Brats, which accounted for almost 60% of attempts to infect cell phones in Latin America in the last 12 months. Experts believe that Brazilian cybercriminal groups will spread malware to target more countries around the world.
We previously reported that a banking trojan campaign was being operated in Brazil, and by the month of June, the malware had spread to several countries in Latin America, including Uruguay, Argentina, Panama, Venezuela and Guatemala.
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16 Jun
Kaspersky recommends that mobile phone and tablet users always review user reviews on apps available on official stores. Not infrequently, malicious programs manage to bypass the filters of legitimate platforms and reach thousands of people to apply blows and steal sensitive information.
Detetive TudoCelular is a column that provides constant tips on how to prevent the most relevant threats for Brazilians, so be sure to check out the journal’s findings and recommendations.
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