Can my mobile phone be infected with a Malware?

Internet has become an important part in everyone’s life these days. We all spend a lot of time surfing on the internet to grab information. The online shopping trend has also become very common these days. People surf on the internet for several different reasons.

Be aware of malicious programs targeting your mobile devices

But with years passing and the advancement in technology, a new wave of mobile devices is released that’s seen to be much more capable and convenient than using laptops. With Smartphone’s and ipads we are now able to handle almost everything from our homes or even if we are out on a holiday. Thus, it’s quite shocking to think how much damage can be done by malware to our mobile devices. The growing usage of Smartphone’s has opened a lot of doors for cybercriminals who have great opportunity to get their hands on your information or just harm you. Malware aimed at Smartphone’s has grown by over 76% over the last few months.

The term malware is used for malicious software, which is specially designed to damage your computer without the owner’s consent. There are various types of malware such as worms, viruses, Trojans, spyware, etc which can affect our PC. Today, most of malware is created in order to earn profit where the hackers ask for a huge ransom from the users. Hackers can ask for ransom by stealing your sensitive data, spreading email spam or child pornography. Malware is also used to steal passwords and account numbers from mobile phones without the user’s knowledge.

So here are a few tips to follow to keep your devices protected.

Inform users about mobile risks: Users should be aware about the various types of mobile risks involved. The various apps they install can also get some malware's that get into your device and damage it.

Keep device operating system up to date: If regular updates are not done on your system, then your device is vulnerable to potential exploits.

Encrypt your devices: Protecting your devices by encrypting them makes it very difficult for someone to break in and steal all your data. You can set up a strong password for your device to add an extra level of protection.

Install apps from trusted sources: Users should only install apps from trusted sources such as Google Play and Apple App store. Installing applications from unknown sites can be very troublesome and lead to infecting your PC.

Encourage users to install Anti-virus in their system: The risk of infection is higher especially in Android phones. Each day we transfer photos and videos in our phone which opens a big opportunity for dangerous viruses to get into our PC. Thus, installing anti-virus software helps you to keep your device protected. It does a regular scanning of your system and keeps you updated if any malicious software is detected.

Apart from the above mentioned steps, we can also adopt certain simple steps such as keeping your mobile phones password protected or logging out immediately after using your account. Each day, with new apps coming up, it is important to make sure what applications and what you don’t. Be an active user to protect your mobile devices from being attacked.

www.reveantivirus.com 

All you should know about two factor authentication

Two-factor authentication is widely used by banking institutions. Of course, this measure works better than a mere password but it’s not unbreakable. That’s why banking Trojan developers breach one-time SMS passwords with ease. Using two factor authentications is one of the best ways to keep your data safe and can add more security to your account.  

Enable Two factor authentication to secure your data

What exactly is Two Factor Authentication?

Two- factor authentication is a feature that not only just asks for your username and password but a little more than that when you log in. It requires something that you know such as your password and plus something that you have like your mobile phone. It’s really important that along with the password you provide a code that you have received. If the correct information is not provided then your password remains locked. This is beneficial as even when someone obtains your password, still they’d be blocked from getting into the account when they are asked for the two step authentication. It adds a second level of authentication to an account log-in. It is also known as Strong authentication.

Once you have decided on the two factor authentication option that you want to use, enable it to your account settings. If you are on a computer where you login a lot, you can mark that computer as trusted. This shows that you don’t want to be asked to go through the two factor authentication step on that particular computer.

Here is how it works:

1.     A user launches legitimate banking app on a smartphone.

2.     A Trojan detects, which app is used, and overlays an exact copy like that. The fraudulent screen looks just like the real one.

3.     The victim enters login and password in the fake app.

4.     The Trojan sends user’s credentials to criminals. They use this data to login and use the user’s banking details.

6.     Then the hackers request for a ransom to be paid.

Why Two Factor Authentication?

It is one of the best ways to protect you against cyber attacks such as viruses, online fraud, phishing attacks, spam mails and other attempts to acquire your sensitive information.

But if your phone will be protected with two-factor authentication then no one can acquire your information, or enter into your account without entering the code that you have received on your mobile phone. Two-factor authentication can reduce the chances of online identity theft, phishing and other online fraud, because stealing the victim’s password is not enough to give a hacker the access to their information. Two factor authentications are designated to provide additional security. By acquiring an additional level of protection, such as a secret code sent by SMS to your phone, you can reduce the risk of being impersonated.

         None of these solutions can completely solve the problem of hackers impersonating you online, but using these kinds of safety measures can add a level of protection. To protect yourself against these kinds of online threats, go for a free trial of REVE Antivirus.

www.reveantivirus.com 

Potentially unwanted applications come in disguise of software updates

 

Be careful of software updates

It has been noticed that cyber criminals are using genuine names to enter into the targeted victim’s PC. They are doing this by displaying random pop-up ads on many software’s most commonly on Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Google Chrome that prompts the user to update Adobe Flash Player, Java, media players, etc. These are utilized by digital culprits to infect the casualty's PC with adware and browsers hijack.

Cyber crooks are using pop-up ads to trick users into downloading malicious software. Many a times you get a pop-up prompting you to update your PC, even when the software is already up-to-date. If you click on this pop-up, it will download a malicious file on your computer which will further download potentially unwanted applications.

Such things are done by hackers for their own selfish motives like grasping the personal/ sensitive information of users or in order to acquire a ransom from them. They create such software’s that even if we decline a few installations, we are shown another window with other software. These kind of continuous prompts make the user somehow accept all conditions and proceed with the installation.

These softwares can simply be termed as “Unwanted”. When introduced, such programs represent an extraordinary risk to your PC and the data it contains. Several adware programs will interrupt activity by displaying constant pop-up windows, whether you are online or not. You may find that your web browser has been hijacked, perhaps replaced with offensive content and/or is riddled with unwanted ads. When typing into a search engine, your web requests may get redirected to other Internet locations. It may also modify default search engine, new tab and homepage settings of the browser.

A recent case happened with a person who while browsing on Amazon.com, found that on opening any product window, the page is injected with an ad showing us the price comparison of similar products from other shopping sites such as Paytm, Snapdeal, etc. This is nothing other than dangerous software’s by the cybercriminals, which once clicked can cause a lot of damage to your PC.

Preventive measures to be taken:

1.                 1. Make sure to download content from genuine websites only

2.    Never run an executable file which seems to be suspicious. For instance, if you are downloading an episode of Game of Thrones, do not run any file such as “Game Of ThronesS01E01.exe.” This can be dangerous

3.    Always opt for custom installation and do not select anything that is not familiar, especially optional software that you never wanted to download and install in the first place.

4.    Read the ‘Privacy Policy’ and ‘License Agreement’ of all software before installing them.

5.    Always keep browsers and other software up-to-date.

6.    Antivirus products can help track and detect such malicious activities. Make sure your antivirus is always up-to-date.

5 essential tips to beat Phishing scams

Phishing has been one of the most effective tools for cyber criminals. They are one of the most common security challenges that both individuals and companies face in keeping their information secure. Businesses are the most targeted. Phishing scams are known to have started around the year 1995 and they have grown fiercer with time. Phishing scams are among the most prevalent forms of cybercrime, especially in the UK. By using fraudulent websites and false emails, penetrators attempt to steal all our personal data, most commonly passwords and credit card details. Some of the sites spoofed most regularly include PayPal, eBay, Yahoo and also many financial websites. Don’t be under a false impression that a mail received from a bank cannot contain viruses in it.

How to protect yourself against phishing

1.    Be wary of emails asking for confidential information 

Legitimate organisations never request sensitive information via email. Even if any such email is received it is better to confirm from the bank authorities before actually typing in your personal details.

2.    Don't get forced into providing sensitive information

Phishers like to use tactics, and may threaten to disable an account until you update certain information. It is better to directly contact the merchant to confirm about the authenticity.

3.    Make sure you familiarise yourself with a website's privacy policy

Most of the websites have a privacy policy rules mentioned at the end of the page. Go through this policy and know about the company’s rules and how your information will be used, whether you will face any kind of danger or not.

4. Never submit confidential information via forms

Sometimes forms are embedded within emails that can prove out to be harmful. Senders of these mails are able to keep a track of all the information that you have entered.

5. Never use links in an email, make sure they are authentic

Often a phishing website will look identical to the original one. Thus look at the address bar to confirm that you are not being tricked.

There are multiple steps a company or an individual can take to protect against phishing. They must keep a check on their current phishing strategies and confirm their security policies and solutions. It is equally important for every individual to understand what is? Phishing and the types of attacks they may face, the risks and how to address them. Informed individuals and secured systems are the key when protecting your company from phishing attacks. Thus in order to remain protected you are advised to install a good Antivirus software.

www.reveantivirus.com

How to Prevent Ransomware from Locking up your Computer

REVE Antivirus labs have been detecting increased number of ransomware infections over the last few weeks. As of late the famous Dridex ransomware is seen to be spreading at a quick pace. Such incidents detect a clear trend that malware authors are steadily shifting to serious money making ransomware variants. Ransomware is proven to be a highly effective money extortion mechanism over the last year. Ransomware is increasingly being used along with other successful and penetrative malware propogation techniques such as spam campaigns, phishing attacks and more. It has become effective because of the vicinity of bitcoins, advanced cash that empowers cybercriminals to gather cash secretly.

It is seen that the number of ransomware detections for the last 7 weeks starting from February 1^st 2016 has been nearly 450,000, which comes out to b approximately 9,000 ransomware detections every single day. This shows that there is a considerable rise in the ransomware detections as compared to the past. This highlights the developing danger of ransomware to organizations and individual clients.

How to avoid ransomware infections

1.       Back up your data

When the case of data security, the first step comes is to classify your data properly. It is important for data owners to segregate their data into crucial, moderate or dispensable categories and look out for ways to secure their most sensitive information. Also try to save your data into different places on your PC. All the sensitive information ought not be put in one specific spot.

2.       Update your OS and other applications

Malware developers usually exploit vulnerabilities in the applications and the OS to breach our system security. In order to avoid such incidences, it is highly recommended to download OS updates and keep your system protected. The most commonly targeted applications are Java, Adobe Flash Player, MS office, Google Chrome and many more.

3.       Be cautious of suspicious emails and attachments

Spam emails have become one of the most effective ways for ransomware to enter into our system. Many a times programmer send masked messages that gives an impression of being valid however when the users click on these some malevolent or dangerous opens that causes harm to the system. When it comes to email security, the following security measures can be taken:

• Never open or execute attachments that are received from unknown senders
• Make sure to check the content of the email properly before opening
• Personalize spam settings for your inbox
• Install an add on that blocks automatic pop ups

Recently, ransomware infections have begun spreading JavaScript codes on websites as well. There are multiple ways through which ranswomware can get into your PC. REVE Antivirus defends you against the latest malware through its virus signature updates on a daily basis. Moreover, REVE Antivirus security products also provide multiple lines of defense such as virus protection, Email protection, category based blocking with its advanced parental control and a lot more.

www.reveantivirus.com

Which is the best Antivirus for you?

If your device slows down or hangs up, you are not alone. In some cases applications decline to open or a program will neglect to react at an essential time. When irritated users get fed up with this behaviour, many of them are ready to throw away their poor device, and sometimes they even want to do it as brutally as possible. While it might seem like a good idea at the time, breaking the device is never a good solution, you will regret it. REVE Antivirus Lab can offer you an altogether better one. We’ve created a number of special tools both for Windows devices such as PCs and laptops, and for Android smartphones and tablets. What's more tempting is, they are totally free!! REVE Antivirus tools can be used to check if your device is infected with malware or a virus. They will also warn you if your OS and software suffer from vulnerabilities and provide you with recommendations on how to improve your protection. REVE Scanner detects infected files and displays them in a separate window and then waits for the user to choose what to do in order to cure, delete or quarantine. You can apply these actions to all files at once or to each of them separately.

If REVE Scanner does not help you the way you expected, you can turn to another free tool, created for removing the majority of rootkits from your PC. Rootkit is a type of malware that tries to access system functions and it is usually very good at hiding itself from the system monitoring. With this you can recognize suspicious documents and isolate them for further research. If the analysis confirms that the files are infected, the tool offers to cure them or to delete them forever. www.reveantivirus.com

If you want to scan your Android phone, you can install REVE Mobile Scan. This tool checks if your device is safe from the most widespread vulnerabilities who are trying to attack your phone.  For those who want to forget about the infection nightmare once and for all, we recommend installing software that can perform scans automatically. PC users can choose REVE Antivirus, REVE Internet Security and REVE Total Security.  REVE total security is a decent choice for those individuals who want to boost up the performance of their PC by removing duplicate files.

5 interesting facts to keep your passwords and personal details safe!

There’s a lot that needs to be learned about passwords. With the technology forging ahead, there are huge developments that are being made up by cybercriminals. Data breaches are very common these days but it is something that is completely not in our control.  Keeping your passwords, financial and personal information safe and protected from outside intruders is the first priority of every business. But still it is very important on our part to create strong and unique passwords that cannot be hacked easily.

Every few months, some big company reports an incident of their website being hacked, compromising millions of people’s account information. Avoiding cyber attacks in a way is dependent on the complexity of your password. Many of us use the same password over and over again for all our accounts which leads to easy phishing attacks. Once a criminal has your password for one account, he can easily track the password for the other accounts as well. Ideally each of your passwords should be atleast 16 characters, containing a combination of number, symbols, upper and lower case. One should avoid using easily guessed words such as birth dates, addresses and phone numbers. This will make it tough for the hacker to crack and get into your system.

Here are a few tips that you need to follow in order to keep your family’s personal information private, protecting your devices from online threats and other dangerous malware.

Passwords are the biggest assets! Keep it safe.

1.     NEVER WRITE PASSWORDS DOWN

One should never write their passwords on a piece of paper as people can easily find and use it. Also make sure never to store passwords on your computer. If a hacker cracks our password for one website, then it means they have cracked your password for a dozen more which puts you into greater danger.

2.     BACK UP YOUR DATA

One of the most basic data protection tip is to back up your data. This basically helps you to create a duplicate copy of your data so that if your device is lost, stolen or hacked, then you do not lose your important information. It is advised that one should back up their data on a different device, such as another PC or an external drive so that you can easily recover it when the other device is attacked.

3.     NEVER SAVE PASSWORDS ON YOUR BROWSER

Most of the latest browsers will offer a save username and password option. But you are advised not to follow this method. The hackers can get into your online accounts and make transactions on your behalf hampering your privacy, leading you to face huge financial loss.

4.     INSTALL A GOOD ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE

Malware is a serious issue attacking many computers hampering the personal privacy of users. Malware can damage a computer without your consent. It includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses and more. This malware can be hidden on websites and emails or in downloadable files, photos and videos. The best way to avoid getting infected is to run a good anti-virus program and also avoid clicking on suspicious email links or websites.

5.     SECURE WIRELESS NETWORK WITH A PASSWORD

You are also recommended to secure your wireless network with a password. This prevents unauthorized individuals to hijack your wireless network. Even if you are using a free Wi-Fi network then make sure it is secure and hidden.