On January 18, 2018, Kaspersky announced the existence of a new type of malware "Skygofree" on its official blog Did. According to the blog, Skygofree targets smartphones and tablets, tracking the device's location and recording when it's in a specific location. Furthermore, even if the Wi-Fi connection is disabled, it will secretly connect to the Wi-Fi, and the sites you browsed, the login ID you entered, the password, and even the card number will be leaked.
According to Kaspersky, Skygofree monitors apps such as Facebook Messenger/Skype/Viber/WhatsApp, and even intercepts messages from WhatsApp via accessibility features (accessibility features). It was "spread from a fake mobile operator's website," and said it had "several cases, all in Italy."
McAfee presents a more in-depth view. In the McAfee blog on January 19th, "the target is very likely to be Japanese users".
The reason for this was the Skygofree vulnerability code information that McAfee investigated. The database list includes ``Kyocera HONEY BEE 201K'', ``Samsung Galaxy S4 SC-04E'', ``Sony Xperia VL SOL21'', etc., and ``terminals released by Japanese telecommunications carriers account for half of the list.'' is. Many of them are targeting ``old terminals that no longer provide OS and firmware software updates'' on terminals released around 2012-2013.
Furthermore, the blog announced that "LINE" was included in one of the monitored apps. Kaspersky has announced that it has a higher priority for command processing than WhatsApp, etc., and analyzes that it is the first to collect information about LINE.
At first glance, the Italian malware seems far from the edge, but the devil's hand has reached Japan. The Skygofree case illustrates the dangers of old smartphones. We must not forget that if the convenience of smartphones, which can be used in various ways, is abused, “private life will be lost”, and in the world of cyber security, it is very dangerous to continue to use old ones.
Malware like Skygofree that collects user's personal information such as browser browsing history is called "spyware". Its actions include sending specific files, automatically sending files (downloaders), and forcibly displaying advertisements (adware).
However, unlike worms and viruses, spyware is not necessarily a "malicious program". The official ESET blog dated September 8, 2017 describes spyware as "more aggressive adware".
The reason is that there are some services that can be received free of charge on the condition that advertisements are displayed. According to Microsoft's security commentary on free music services, "In some cases, you may be able to 'pay' for the service by agreeing to display advertisements." You may also agree to allow us to track you,” pointing out one aspect of this spyware.
However, on the same page, Microsoft also introduces a trick that they inadvertently and troublesomely used to "secretly install other software while installing the music or video file sharing program that the user wants". . As with any malware, be careful when installing new apps, programs, etc.
In this series, we will introduce related terms and examples to support the "Cyber Security Novel Contest" being held at Kakuyomu. In order to bring out the depth of the work, it is necessary not only to assemble the novel but also to have knowledge about cyber security. Whether you're a struggling novelist or not, it's time to review cybersecurity terminology.
Genre: As long as it is a novel related to cybersecurity, the genre is free, such as science fiction, otherworldly stories, and experiences
Apply regardless of whether you are a professional or an amateur. Membership registration to Kakuyomu is required.
1 Grand Prize Prize of 1 million yen + publication
Sponsor Award: Microsoft Award, Cybozu Award, Hitachi Systems Award: 1 person each
Application period: March 31st to August 31st
Sponsored by Japan Network Security Association (JNSA)
Management KADOKAWA Co., Ltd.
Sponsored Cyber Security Strategy Headquarters (Cooperation: Cabinet Cyber Security Center NISC)
Sponsor Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd./Cybozu Co., Ltd./Hitachi Systems Co., Ltd./Symantec Co., Ltd./Trend Micro Co., Ltd./Japan Registry Service Co., Ltd. (JPRS)/Benesse Infoshell Co., Ltd.
Contest details https://kakuyomu.jp/contests/cyber_security
■ Reference site