Week 4 - Fake Netflix Android App

Over the past few years’ cell phones have evolved from talk only to talk, text, and Internet.  Cell phones today are like compact computers and can be used to do just about anything that a desktop computer can do.  You can use them to shop, play games, check bank accounts, transfer money, pay bills, e-mail, and chat, watch movies, listen to music, and many other cool things.  However, this rapid increased use has made cell phones a target for scammers.  The android app market is a place where users can download different apps.  Some apps are free and some require a small fee for use.  From my understanding anyone can build an app and publish it.  You don’t have to use Google play, but you can use other app markets to publish your app.  This is scary in that as a user you don’t know if the app being downloaded contains malicious software.  If the downloads does contain malicious software it can be used to gather passwords and account information from your phone.  In other words if you use your phone to pay bills, shop, or do anything that requires the use of a password the bug will capture that information.  I found this article that talks about how a fake Netflix app was created that contained a Trojan that could capture passwords and account information. This was a bogus app that had the potential to affect thousands of devices.  Netflix is a huge company that used by many to download and stream movies.  How can a user know if the apps they are downloading are safe?  The article can be found at:  http://www.cio.com/article/691743/Fake_Netflix_Android_app_is_social_engineering_scam