In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, Android users face a new challenge: a surge in malicious applications. Recent findings by McAfee have unearthed a concerning trend of malware-infected Android apps, Xamalicious malware, potentially compromising the security of over 327,000 devices. This alarming revelation calls for an immediate response from Android users, especially those who have downloaded any of the identified apps from Google Play.
The Unseen Enemy: Xamalicious Malware
McAfee’s discovery of the malware, dubbed Xamalicious, reveals a sophisticated attack strategy. These apps, built using Xamarin, a .NET framework, have been lurking undetected, exploiting the complexities of APK file build processes. The malware authors have skillfully combined obfuscation techniques and custom encryption to evade detection while exfiltrating data and communicating with their command-and-control servers.
The Mechanics of the Malware
Once installed, these apps attempt to gain accessibility privileges through social engineering tactics. The most concerning aspect is the potential installation of a second-stage payload. This payload can take full control of the device, functioning like spyware or a banking trojan, operating without user interaction. Additionally, some apps, like Cash Magnet, engage in ad fraud by automatically clicking ads and installing other applications, misleading users with the promise of redeemable retail gift cards
The Global Impact and Response
The scope of this Xamalicious malware outbreak is not limited geographically, with significant activities reported in the US, Brazil, Argentina, UK, Spain, and Germany. Google’s response to McAfee’s report was prompt, resulting in the removal of these apps from the Google Play Store. However, the risk persists for users who have already installed these apps.
A Closer Look at the Affected Apps
Here is a detailed list of the apps identified by McAfee, along with their download statistics: 1. Essential Horoscope for Android (100,000 downloads) 2. 3D Skin Editor for PE Minecraft (100,000 downloads) 3. Logo Maker Pro (100,000 downloads) 4. Auto Click Repeater (10,000 downloads) 5. Count Easy Calorie Calculator (10,000 downloads) 6. Sound Volume Extender (5,000 downloads) 7. LetterLink (1,000 downloads) 8. NUMEROLOGY: PERSONAL HOROSCOPE &NUMBER PREDICTIONS (1,000 downloads) 9. Step Keeper: Easy Pedometer (500 downloads) 10. Track Your Sleep (500 downloads) 11. Sound Volume Booster (100 downloads) 12. Astrological Navigator: Daily Horoscope & Tarot (100 downloads) 13. Universal Calculator (100 downloads)
Protecting Yourself: Steps to Take
1. Immediate Uninstallation: If you have any of these apps installed, uninstall them without delay. 2. Regular Updates: Keep your Android OS and apps updated. 3. Download Wisely: Only install apps from trusted sources. 4. Stay Informed: Regularly check for security updates and alerts. 5. Use Security Software: Install reliable antivirus software on your device.
In conclusion, the discovery of Xamalicious in Android apps serves as a stark reminder of the relentless evolution of cyber threats. Staying vigilant and informed is our best defense against these invisible adversaries. By taking proactive steps and fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness, we can safeguard our digital lives against such insidious threats.
We all know that raising kids is a skill, but how much more complicated is it now with kids using technology so soon? Young children play on cell phones and hand-held electronics as soon as two years of age or younger. Parents are guilty of using their phones for Netflix, Disney, and whatever else may entertain their children while they, the parents, are trying to get things accomplished. We have discussed this commonality throughout numerous articles with Dale Dumbs IT Down.
With all this technology and information on the internet, how can we keep our kids safe and make sure they become cyber-smart? This is not an easy discussion, so we hope this article provides some useful ideas to help you talk to your kids and discuss the importance of cybersecurity and being cyber-smart. Much like we mentioned in How to Teach Your Kids About CyberSecurity and Games, we’ll discuss different ways to help encourage online safety and smart internet practices.
Raising Cybersmart Kids
It all starts with the conversations at home. Parents and guardians have the opportunity to provide the best knowledge and education for their children. Unfortunately, schools, daycares, etc., might not share similar philosophies for education or cyber awareness. We stress the conversations at home and encourage you to do what is best for your family. Luckily, there is a plethora of websites (like ours), programs, and games dedicated to helping families raise cyber-smart kids.
Knowledge is Power
Safer Internet Day (SID) is February 7th, 2023. This organization promotes global education and resources for a safer internet, encouraging people to participate while bringing others together to make the most of the internet’s potential. Their slogan: “Together for a better internet” focuses on their mission of continually promoting safe internet practices. The European Union initially created SID in 2004, and since then, it has grown globally, working with other countries to promote cybersecurity and cyber awareness. Each year, this organization focuses on content and themes our children are experiencing such as cyber bullying, scams, predators, etc.
This global organization works within its network with a larger global resource called INHOPE, which is a European network aiming to help prevent child sexual abuse and materials. INHOPE offers hotlines to protect children from online enticement by predators. Raising our kids to be cyber smart includes identifying what online threats are like sexual enticement, predators, etc. It’s not an easy conversation; however, it’s vital to our children’s online safety. As we shared previously, there are multiple safety apps to help protect our children from unwanted content and to protect them in an emergency. However, acknowledging the threats and teaching our youth is how we can make a difference.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) discusses the various dangers of online predators and provides resources for parents and guardians. To keep our children safe and cyber-smart, they need to be aware of all the issues out there. Online enticement and sextortion are real issues affecting our youth regularly. Online victimization is the biggest threat to our children. This is where it’s crucial to inform our children of the scary possibilities of online conversations, image sharing, information and identity sharing, and more. We discussed the benefits of Google Family Link in regards to monitoring your children’s online presence and content. Although you can monitor much of your children’s information, as we said before, their schools, friends, etc. might not be as cyber smart or as cyber aware as you’d like.
Cyber Legends is a cyber safety and educational online game for kids. The concept is that kids can learn to be cyber smart through the online game and storyline. The plot contains the evil Lord Hacker and evil robots who are causing destruction and mayhem. Station 66 needs help to fight off the evildoers. Kids can pick and choose their characters, gear, and more while exploring Station 66 and avoiding the evil Lord Hacker.
You can create an account as a parent or guardian to monitor and learn what your children learn. You can set up your kid’s accounts, pick a plan, and start the journey. The cyber educational game is free but offers educators various plans annually per teacher, school, or district. The hope is that this game is introduced in elementary schools, teaching these school-age kids how to protect themselves and others against cyberbullying, stalking, and more. Game designers created various characters and activities to help keep kids cyber-aware and cyber-smart.
As we discussed before, teaching our kids to be cyber-smart can be challenging, especially when it comes to online enticement and sextortion. Cyber Legends even has a Digital Health Consent for parents and educators to learn how to approach sexual content in the digital world through various situations in Cyber Legends. Parents have a dashboard where they can see these or any other lectures beforehand.
Cyber Legends provides a safe space for kids and families to learn about being cyber smart and cybersecurity without the added stress. This platform can help back the conversations you’re having at home, bringing attention to the “forever” system the world wide web created while keeping the atmosphere friendly. Use Cyber Legends as another way to provide a defensive educational opportunity to your children so they can understand the repercussions of technology.
We know that being a parent has many challenges, and we have a lot on our plates. However, it’s up to us to stay in the know about the issues the internet, apps, and games might have. Raising your kids to be cyber smart is raising your kids as cyber aware, cyber secure, and safe from predators.
It feels like there’s a new scam or a new way for hackers to gain access to our information daily. Unfortunately, we cannot even keep up with the new ways, but we can try and inform our readers of what we hear. If you’re unsure of if someone has scammed you or is trying to scam you, there are a few ways of checking to see if you have a hacker in your phone stealing your information.
Are Hackers In Your Phone?
Believe it or not, hackers will select certain phone operating systems over others like Androids over iPhone due to an open system versus a closed system. Wanna guess which one is open? If you’re an Android user, you already are at a bigger threat level than those that use Apple products. Now Apple users, you are still on a threat level no matter your systems, as hackers do not care one way or another. It’s just whether it’s easier or not and what precautions you need to take.
Once upon a time, we avoided the internet on our devices because we were so nervous about predators and hackers. Now, we are constantly exposed to hacker attempts regardless of the internet. Almost every single app on your phone can be used to track you and your information. Even Google is guilty of tracking our information. Much like mega social media ruler, TikTok, who has been under legal scrutiny across the nation, no app is safe. There’s simple hacking from someone taking your phone and knowing the password to more advanced hacking like installing stalker software aka stalkerware.
If you’re concerned about your information, here are some of the red flags to see if a hacker is in your phone. If your battery is draining more quickly than usual, then you might have malware running in the background using your data. Most cell phone providers offer apps to show your bill and data usage. You can check to see where your data is and reassess whether you might have a hacker in your phone. Another hacker red flag is spam pop-ups when you’re using your browsers. Often, we can set our settings to block cookies or pop-ups, but if you have a hacker using malware in your phone, you might have more issues. Make sure you know exactly what sites you’re visiting and double-check your security settings. If your phone keeps shutting down, is working slowly, or doing strange things, it’s probably a hacker. Updates often provide us phone users with faster interfaces, so if your phone is still struggling, then you need to check if you have malware or a virus.
We’ve established the signs a hacker might be in your phone, so now let’s talk about how you can remove them. One of the easiest ways to remove a hacker from your phone is to change all your passwords on your accounts and social media apps. Changing passwords can greatly reduce the chances of hackers stealing your information. If you’re interested in stellar passwords, check out our Best Tips For Making Passwords Strong And More Secure for the best information.
After you’ve changed your passwords, you’ll want to make sure all those accounts like Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, and others all have the Two-Factor Authentication system. As a refresher, setting your 2FA up means that when you log into one of your accounts, there is a secondary method to verify that you are the right person logging into the account. You can set this up with your email, your phone number as a call or text, and even a special code per account. If you need to learn how to set up your two-factor authentication on your social media accounts, read up on Setting Up 2FA or What Is Two Factor Authentication.
Delete any questionable apps or downloads on your phone. If you’re not sure what something is, or you don’t use it frequently, consider removing it from your cell phone. Often, users need to go into their settings and phone system to see files or to see all their downloads. Hackers can sneak malware into everything from PDF files to images and more. If you’re not using it, then it doesn’t need to exist. This will also free up space on your phone, helping the operating system run more smoothly. If it doesn’t? Then you have a hacker in your phone.
Besides keeping the above tips in check, you’ll want to start some good digital habits. For example, make sure you’re not using unsecured wifi or open hotspots when using your phone. The same rule applies to your Bluetooth, as hackers can connect to your phone using wifi, hotspots, and your Bluetooth connections. If you’re out and about, needing to charge your phone, you need to be careful about using charging stations or charging cords. These are often unmonitored and very tempting to hackers. The next time you’re at the airport, it might be smarter to just go buy a new charger at that little convenience store on the corner of the terminal.
If you’re on your home network, then we recommend firewalls and security systems. Much like you’d want to protect your family with locks on the doors or a security system for intruders, you’ll want to secure your family’s personal and private digital information. Check out our suggestion for Monitoring Your Home Network and learn more about protecting your digital footprint. We also suggest getting a VPN router to keep your home network and information secure, preventing hackers from stealing your info. Learn about the Best VPN Routers.
Maintaining a safe and secure digital life is challenging. Hackers are determined to get into your phone and other devices, steal your information, and cause chaos. Use these tips to find, remove, and prevent hackers from scamming your and your loved ones.
iPhones are incredibly powerful and versatile devices, but they can also be vulnerable to malicious attacks if the proper security measures aren’t taken. I’m floored at how many parents I know that buy their kids new phones and just hand them to their children with no caution or security measures put in place. Parents of iPhone users need to take the time to set up their kids’ phones properly in order to keep them safe from any potential threats because there are a LOT out there.
And these easy iPhone security settings aren’t just for kids either. I also see adults get their new iPhones and just go at it with no proper security measures. Here are some of the most important security settings you should set up right away on your iPhone.
Disable Location Services
Location services allow apps and websites to track your location, which can be a huge privacy intrusion. You can prevent this by disabling location services for all apps on your iPhone. Go into Settings > Privacy > Location Services and toggle the switch off. You can also disable location services for specific apps or allow them only when using the app (in other words, not tracking you in the background).
This is important because many apps contain targeted ads that use geolocation data in order to show relevant content based on where you are located. I prefer to enable this on an app-by-app basis because I do want Maps to use my location, but only while I’m using it.
Enable Mail Privacy Protection
This security feature is one of my favorites for the iPhone. Essentially, what mail privacy does is hide your IP address from senders. This makes it nearly impossible to track your activity and location from your device. So, why should you enable mail privacy protection on your iPhone? Well, it’s all about ensuring that the mail sent and received on your device stays secure! Having mail privacy protection enabled guarantees an extra layer of security for your sensitive mail, making sure only you have access to its contents.
Additionally, mail privacy protection can also help reduce spam mail since it filters out suspicious links and malicious content hiding within emails. All you need to do is go to Settings > Mail > Privacy Protection and enable Protect Mail Activity.
Enable Screen Time Restrictions
Screen Time is a great tool that allows parents to control how much time their children spend on their phones each day. I know adults that enable it for themselves as well to help keep them on task. You can limit certain apps and even block access completely after a certain amount of time has passed each day.
To enable Screen Time restrictions, go into Settings > Screen Time and follow the directions from there. It’s also important to make sure that your child doesn’t have access to any passwords or passcodes that would allow them to bypass these restrictions once enabled.
Turn Off Siri Suggestions
Siri Suggestions is an optional feature that allows Siri to suggest contacts and other information based on what it knows about you. While this feature can be helpful, it could also potentially reveal sensitive information about your device if someone were able to gain access to the phone without permission. To turn off Siri Suggestions, go into Settings > Siri & Search and toggle off the “Suggestions” switch at the top of the screen.
One of the best security settings for the iPhone is the Find My feature. Find My for iPhones is the ultimate tool for your digital life: you know that everything important to you is kept safe and sound. With features like location tracking and lost device alerts, it’s basically like having a personal assistant in your back pocket. Find My for iPhones is a great security tool, making it easy to find your device or a family member’s if it’s ever lost or stolen.
Don’t Allow Apps To Track You
There are lots of great reasons not to allow apps to track you on your iPhone. It not only keeps your personal data much more secure, but it also gives you peace of mind knowing that no app is snooping around in your life without your permission. Not only that, not allowing apps to track you means extra protection against ads popping up out of nowhere.
Some people like to be hit with personalized ads because they say it lends itself to a better user experience with their devices. But at what cost? Your personal data? Your privacy? Who needs that kind of intrusion? Bottom line, not allowing apps to track you is a must if you want to enjoy using your phone stress-free and get rid of any potential digital stalking attempts. Plus, who doesn’t love being in control?
Securing Your iPhone Is Really Easy
Keeping your iPhone as secure as possible doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Seriously, just a few simple steps will do wonders for protecting your digital privacy and ensuring your safety online with your devices. Be sure to disable location services, enable Screen Time restrictions, and turn off Siri Suggestions and all these other security features as soon as possible in order to help your iPhone stay secure! With these settings in place, you can rest assured knowing that your devices and personal data are protected from potential threats while still enjoying your device safely and responsibly.
If you’re into social media, have a social media account, or even if you have an email then you’ll want to know how to protect your account. Setting up two-factor authentication is the best way to keep your accounts safe. In other words, a 2FA prevents hackers from stealing your information and identity.
What Is Two-Factor Authentication?
If you remember from our previous article on two-factor authentication, there are a few ways 2FAs work. Most 2FAs have the option of your password and either a phone number backup or email backup in which your social media account will then verify your login via one of the mentioned backups. This is probably the most common way many users get back into their accounts when they forget their password or when they need to log in. You can receive a phone call or a text message with a security code if you chose to have your phone number as your second verification. If you choose your email as your 2FA, then the social media system will send you an email with a code or link to input. You can also choose to use a biometric established on your phone already (face recognition or fingerprint). These are security measures uniquely to you.
Facebook 2FA
If you have a Facebook account, setting up your two-factor authentication is pretty easy. For any mobile device, the pathway to setting up your 2FA is the easy. You select your Facebook profile and the next screen shows the menu below.
Select Settings & Privacy
A menu drops down for Settings
This screen will show your Profile, Account, Security, Ads, and Legal and Policies
Select Security which takes you to Security and Login.
You’ll see the Two-Factor Authentication
Next, will be the edit option which will prompt you to put in your current password and lead you to your 2FA settings.
This page allows you to see if your 2FA is on, as well as what security methods you’ve selected. You can select a backup method as well, from security recovery codes and security keys.
If you’re on a desktop computer or laptop, here are the steps to setting up your 2FA.
Go to your profile picture or hover over it on the right side of your screen. It will drop down a menu with Settings and Privacy. Selecting this option will add another menu where you can select Settings. This option will then load a new page for all settings and privacy information. On the left-hand side, you will see the option for Security and Login, which is the menu you’ll want to select for setting up your two-factor authentication.
On the Security and Login page you’ll see sections for Recommended, Where You’re Logged in, Login, Two-Factor Authentication, Setting Up Extra Security, and Advanced setting options.
In the Two-Factor Authentication, you’ll see an edit option. This option will prompt you to put in your current password and lead you to your 2FA settings.
This page allows you to see if your 2FA is on, as well as what security methods you’ve selected. You can select a backup method as well, from security recovery codes and security keys.
Whatever method you choose for your 2FA will heighten your account’s security and prevent your account from getting hacked.
Instagram 2FA
Instagram and Facebook are similar platforms for security and two-factor authentication because they are owned jointly through Meta (AKA Mark Zuckerberg). Since they are both under the same company, you can use each account as another verification method for logging in.
For mobile devices, you’ll select the three lines associated with your profile account either in the upper right corner or in the bottom left.
The menu will pop up with another menu–select Settings
From there you’ll want to select Security
Next, you will select Two-factor Authentication
You can select login codes, an authentication app, WhatsApp, and text messages, as well as an option for additional methods and trusted devices.
If your two-factor authentication is on, Instagram will let you know as you enter that setting.
For home computers, your menu option will appear on the left side of the screen. It’s been a minute since I’ve even logged in on my laptop, so I was surprised at the display changes.
Lower left, select Menu which pops up a mini window
Then select Settings, which opens your Profile tab on the right
Find Privacy and Security
Scroll down to Two-factor Authentication
Instagram and Facebook both allow users to purchase on their apps. You can create and purchase advertising from Meta, for your personal and business use. Other businesses and merchandise shops can suggest products for users, and you can buy directly from these apps. That being said, you can add a credit or debit card to your account for these purchases. Tempting as that may be, it does come with the risk of someone hacking your account and using your credit cards. Setting up your 2FA helps reduce this risk, as you’ll know where you’re logged in and on what accounts. However, we also discuss Why You Need Notifications For All Your Credit Card Transactions, so if you need more reasons–be sure to check that out.
TikTok 2FA
TikTok is another major social media outlet, and if you or your children are using this app, at the very least, set up the two-factor authentication setting. For your mobile devices, you’ll want to go to your profile and find the three lines for the menu option, probably in the upper right corner.
Select the Menu, which pulls up a mini window
Select the Settings and Privacy option
In the Account section, select the Security option
2-step Verification is the last menu option
Here you can select from a text message, email, or password in which you will add your phone number, email, or input a password.
If you selected the phone number or email, TikTok will send you a special code to verify your account choices.
For desktop/laptop logins, you’ll hover over your profile in the right-hand corner, in which a menu will pop up.
Select Settings, which opens up an account screen
I’ll be completely honest–Privacy and Settings open but yields no way for me to even find a 2FA.
This company has failed to adequately create a user-friendly desktop site and has failed in aiding in the privacy and well-being of its users. (TikTok isn’t Protecting your kids)
We’ll be honest, social media has pros and cons, and as a family, you get to choose what is best for you and your children. When it comes to the security of your accounts, having a two-factor authentication can help avoid hackers and spamming. You and your children’s safety is always at risk when getting on the internet. Use this as a guide to set up 2FAs on the most common social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
If you’re looking to monitor your children’s usage of any of these apps, make sure you check out our review of Google’s Family Link as a suggestion. You’ll find other features and benefits there as well.
We’ve talked recently about different personal and child safety apps for mobile devices, tablets, and computers. Each time we learn of a monitoring app, we like to provide insight into its pros and cons of it. We recently discussed the benefits of safety and monitoring apps, helping you, as parents, find your children, keep them safe, and learn what they may be doing. We know that gaming apps can lead children to harmful conversations with strangers, potentially releasing private information. Talking to your children about cybersecurity issues, predators, and stranger danger is vital to keeping them safe. However, if you’re unsure these conversations are working, you can choose to participate in apps like Google’s Family Link, which is a family safety app.
Most of us use Google, for one reason or another. 25 years ago, the options we have now would have been a strange concept back then. However, here we are, evolving our lives around Google and technology. Even though we may not agree with the intertwining of technology into our everyday life, there are plenty of benefits and Google is pro at providing us with benefits. In the event that you’re unsure of all the benefits Google and other tech companies bring, Google created Family Link for parents and guardians. It’s a family safety and parental control tool allowing you, as parents, peace of mind.
Family link is designed to give parents the protection they desire for their kids. We know technology is great, but it has created a dangerous world where the immature cannot process well. Google Family link provides age-appropriate guides and controls based. You can set screen times, gear ads to their age, set permissions for audio and images, secure their Gmail accounts and emails, and stay connected through Google’s location.
Web and App Filtering
Web and app filtering are some of the most important features any children’s safety app provides. Parents can set up Safe Search on the Google browser, and they can further block explicit content, videos, images, and more. You can customize the websites, blacklist them, and get notifications when or if your child tries to gain access. However, the blocking ability is based on how Google categorizes the websites and content. Other parental control apps like Life 360, allow parents to select categories like entertainment, explicit music, ads, etc. If you’re interested in learning more about some other children’s safety apps, we discuss those here. The biggest flaw with the Google Family Link app is that you cannot monitor your children’s web history or app usage on the actual app. You have to log in to their Google account on their phone, also, once they turn 13 years old, the feature stops. You’d then need to move to another safety app.
App filtering is one of Google’s best features for your child. The Google Play app is the app for all downloadable apps for all android systems, so you can filter the apps your children are exposed to. This can help limit their exposure to ads and apps too mature for their young minds. I personally have experienced this with my son and his ability to outsmart me. Keep in mind, he’s three, but some of the suggested apps on the iPad are definitely not age-appropriate. As we discussed in Toddlers and Tablets if you’re having a hard time with your children and their screen time, app usage, etc. it might be time to look into other technology options.
Besides knowing what your children are engaged in on the world wide web, knowing where they are can help you protect them against predators. Staying connected is an important feature Google Family Link provides, pending your child has their phone on, recently connected to the internet, or is in your cell phone service provider’s reach. In other words, if your kid is using their phone, you’ll be able to stay connected. However, if they are getting themselves into trouble, and are smart enough to disable the location feature or turn their phone off, they cannot stay connected. Obviously, this is an issue with any app whether it’s Google Family Link, Life 360, Find My Kids or others. If you’re looking for a suggestion on apps to avoid this, Dale uses MMGuardian to require a password on his kid’s phones to access the Family Link app. That way they can’t uninstall it or play with the settings. When this feature is on, parents can see where their children are on the map, with a fairly accurate location. You can keep tabs on your kids, protecting them from predators. You can also make sure to set alerts for when your kids get to and from school, extra activities, or their friend’s houses.
With Google’s Family Link price, it’s a steal. It’s a free app that’s a great starting place to monitor your children’s internet behavior. However, there are imperfections that other apps don’t have. As with any review, we look into the good, the bad, and the ugly. For us, Google is a great option, but we encourage you to look into other apps and see which features work best for you and your family.
