Latest Android warning could put you off downloading apps for good

That means they were easily available for millions of Android fans to download and they has somehow passed the security checks which are designed to stop this threat from being able to take place.

It seems cyber criminals have been using the current lockdown to target uses with six out of 10 of the top malicious apps fall under the general description of “leisure” apps, offering a way for people to pass their time, including “video players & editors”, “news & magazines”, “games” and “social”.

With lockdowns in effect in most parts of the world for a good part of the quarter, this indicates that fraudsters have been using applications that people download as they look to pass the time and entertain themselves, unable to socialise and venture outdoors.

Geoffrey Cleaves, Head of Secure-D at Upstream, said: “With the majority of the world having shifted indoors, there were some darker forces acting to make a profit from the lockdown situation. At Secure-D, we've seen a sharp increase in bad actors publishing "leisure" apps on the Google Play Store, which trick users into subscribing for premium services.”

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