Cyber-criminals may be targeting iPhone launch
A proliferation of malicious software for mobile phones has been predicted for the launch of the latest Apple iPhone, according to F-secure's security labs.
Chia Wing-fai, a security response team manager for the Finnish anti-virus firm, said the expected rise in the number of people using newer mobile phones brought the threat of increased cyber-crimes. The iPhone will go on sale on July 11, and Chia said he believed malicious software was being made to coincide with this. Corporate data downloaded into handhelds through the iPhone's push- mail feature would be the most likely target for theft, according to Chia, followed by address book information for spamming purposes.
Roy Ko Wai-tak, manager of the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center under the Productivity Council, pointed out that social networking sites such as Facebook and Linkin are sources for online scammers to collect personal data.
One web attack occurred following the recent rioting in Tibet.
Pro-Tibet organizations and individuals were sent carefully crafted e-mails containing file types such as Microsoft Word and Excel files or Adobe files, Chia said.
In this case, the files would install a key-stroke logger that, if opened, would record whatever information was typed into the computer, he said.
Other examples of sophisticated social engineering to dupe trusting computer or mobile web surfers was to take advantage of holidays and actual events to elicit users to click on malicious links.
Locally, the number of phishing and hacking attacks were declining, said Ko.
While the number of incidents handled by the HKCERT have also dropped, he said viruses targeting web pages and programmes with sloppy programming were on the rise.
Ko added: "There are lots of hidden threats out there that are immune to traditional detection ... there will always be bogus websites built and genuine websites hacked."
Reproduced from an article published by The Standard (Hong Kong)
© The Standard (Hong Kong)
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