Downloading from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store is one way to improve your security. It’s just not foolproof. Even there, apps that are just fronts for malware can appear.
That’s exactly what one digital security firm found recently when they looked further into the developers behind a variety of supposedly vetted developers allowed onto these official app stores.
Affected apps include “security” apps, such as VPNs and spam blockers, that are meant to keep people safe from these types of criminals, making it doubly threatening. Add to that device “monitoring” apps, RAM cleaners, and dating services.
make sure to vet everything
VPNs and spam blockers aren’t the only malicious apps found on these stores. There are also device “monitoring” apps, RAM cleaners, and dating services, The Hacker News said in an August 6 interview with a representative from Infoblox, a DNS threat intelligence firm that released a report on the findings the same day.
They trace back to a bad actor named VexTrio Viper, who developed apps under a range of fake developer entities, including HolaCode, LocoMind, Hugmi, Klover Group, and AlphaScale Media.
“VexTrio is more widely known for its traffic distribution system (TDS). The TDS helps disguise digital fraud…” writes Infoblox. Apps found by Infoblox to contain malware include those
Taken all together, these malware-ridden apps (such as Fast VPN—Super Proxy) developed by VexTrio Viper have been downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store a combined million times, according to Infoblox, per The Hacker News.
Just be extra safe about downloading apps of any kind. Don’t just download what’s popular or on a “best of” list on an app store, even if it’s an official app store from Apple or Google. A quick Googling of the app in question should turn up something vouching for its legitimacy.
If you can’t find that, then skip it. There are always plenty of legit alternatives. Check out our guide to the Best VPNs. If you don’t want to pay, Proton VPN makes an excellent free VPN. I’ve used it, and it’s not only fast but well vetted for transparency.
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