Students warned of smartphone security threat

The number of cyber-attacks on smartphones, particularly Google’s Android system, and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have increased over the past year, leaving users at risk of malicious software infecting their devices.

Social networking sites have been used to launch attacks on profiles to extract personal information from individuals, and a press release issued by Symantec, owners of Norton AntiVirus software, described social networking sites as “a fertile ground for cyber criminals”.

Con Mallon, security expert at Norton AntiVirus, told The Journal that there has been “a steady increase in the number of cyber-attacks directed at smartphone users and social networks”.

However, David Emm, senior security researcher at the Kaspersky Laboratory, providers of anti-virus software, told The Journal that the threat to smartphones is significantly less than the threat to computers, due to the “massive boom” in the use of social networking sites.

Mr Mallon further warned of the threat to social network users from cyber criminals posing as contacts on Facebook. He said students should be aware of cyber criminals having “realised that people are much more likely to trust a link or attachment that a friend or family member has sent them, and they are exploiting that trust”.

The issue of sophisticated attacks was also addressed by Mr Emm, who explained that even an apparently innocent message from a friend on Facebook might be carrying malware used to target your computer or smartphone. Usually messages carrying malicious software will involve the use of a shortened URL, which may lead to a “Trojan horse” type virus infecting computers and smartphones.

Mr Mallon emphasised the importance for students to remain vigilant on social networking sites and to not “sustain online contact with people you don’t know” and to “avoid clicking on random URLs, even if they appear to be from a trusted contact” in order to avoid cyber criminals from gaining access to personal details.