Author: BWild

New malware is now causing problems, particularly with Android users who speak Russian.

Just as smartphone users are beginning to realize that their small screen devices could suffer just as big a malware threat as their laptops and desktop computers, a new mobile security announcement has been made which has revealed that Android users who speak Russian are being targeted by a new type of text based attack.

This specific form of mobile malware moves right in to the device contact list to spread and infect others.

According to Eset, a security vendor, the malware is a worm-like virus called “Android/Samsapo.A”. Once it has made its way into a device, it can download other malicious files into that device, as well, making it a mobile security problem that only gets worse. It can also steal an individual’s personal information from his or her smartphone or tablet, including from text messages, and it can block phone calls from being made or received.

This mobile security threat is a very new one and it is important for device users to be aware of it.

According to a malware researcher from Eset, Robert Lipovsky, this virus uploads the data that it obtains from a device into a domain that is less than a month old. The spread of the Samsapo virus occurs by automatically sending out text messages from the infected mobile device so that they will be received by other people whose contact data is saved within the address list.

The virus has a rather worm-like characteristic in that has been used in other forms of malware that have been infecting smartphones and even tablets. In this specific case, the text message that spreads the virus currently says, in Russian, “Is this your photo?”. It provides a link that directs the device user to an Android app package file (.APK), which contains a copy of the virus, which will then be downloaded into the new device, starting the process over again.

Lipovsky stated that “This technique wouldn’t raise an eyebrow on Windows, but is rather novel on Android.”

The best way to avoid this type of mobile security breach is to avoid the download of third party platform apps, and to keep away from websites that provide sketchy, illegal, threatening, or dangerous content.

The size of the affordable device marketplace is estimated to be $50 billion and the company wants in.

American software giant, Microsoft, is looking to rejuvenate the former glory of Nokia by targeting the market for cheap smartphones, in order to be able to access the affordable handset marketplace which is estimated to be worth approximately $50 billion.

The company just recently announced that it would be removing Nokia’s name from the devices.

Before Nokia was acquired by Microsoft, it had watched its market share plummet as powerful competitors such as Apple and Samsung carved out their own considerable pieces of the pie. The primary struggle was in being able to keep up with the rapidly evolving expectations of consumers. Now, it looks as though the new owner of the handset business will be looking to define itself within the affordable cheap smartphone sector.

This could be because cheap smartphones are becoming increasingly desirable by consumers worldwide.

Microsoft first partnered with Nokia in 2011 for the launch of the handset maker’s Lumia line of devices, as those mobile phones were based on the Windows Phone operating system. That platform has become the fastest growing ecosystem within the marketplace for smartphones, according to the IDC research firm. By the last quarter of 2013, it had become the third largest mobile operating system.

According to a statement from Microsoft, “With the Nokia mobile phone business, Microsoft will target the affordable mobile devices market, a $50 billion annual opportunity, delivering the first mobile experience to the next billion people while introducing Microsoft services to new customers around the world.”

Low cost handsets and cheap smartphones have become a very important part of the mobile marketplace throughout many emerging markets, particularly in Asia and in Africa. Asian handset makers such as Huawei, Micromax, ZTE, and Karbonn have been credited with driving growth in those regions. Clearly, Microsoft has not failed to take notice of this opportunity in these regions where mobile devices are achieving exceptional penetration among the populations. It is keen to ensure that it does not miss out on what those regions have to offer in terms of device sales – particularly gadgets based on its operating system.