NCC ADVISES USERS AGAINST USING "MOBILE APPS GROUP"

Due to worries about Trojan and malware, NCC advises users against using "mobile apps group"

The Nigerian Communications Commission's Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) has issued a warning against installing apps from the offending publisher, the "Mobile Apps Group," whose products have been found to contain Trojan horses and adware that are dangerous to users and their privacy as a result of the ongoing introduction of malicious apps into Google Play Store.

According to the incident's NCC-CSIRT advisory "The Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT) has continued to observe and monitor the constant introduction of malicious mobile applications into Google Play Store.

"Mobile apps Group has a history of distributing malware-infected apps through the Google Play store, and the current batch of apps has already been downloaded over a million times" it said.

The malicious apps from this group were classified as the Bluetooth Auto Connect; Bluetooth App Sender; Driver: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB; and Mobile transfer: smart switch.

The advice states that, "The apps will delay the display of ads for up to three days after installation to avoid detection. However, once this period has passed, the user is bombarded with advertisements and is directed to malicious phishing websites in the Chrome browser. While the device is idle, the malicious app can open Chrome tabs in the background. Some of the sites it opens may appear to be harmless, but they are pay-per-click pages that generate revenue for the developers when clicked on."

The user's experience will be negatively impacted by the constant barrage of advertisements that follow from installing the malicious programs. Sensitive user data may also be stolen. Clicking on the ads may also secretly download or install further malware, putting the user's privacy and data at risk.

Users can avoid these undesirable outcomes by choosing not to download apps created by Mobile Apps Group and by making sure to read app reviews prior to installing any app. Users who may have installed any of the identified harmful apps are advised to uninstall them right away and to use the most recent anti-malware program to help find and eliminate malware.

The NCC-CSIRT assigned a high probability and potential for harm rating to the malicious activity of the offending apps.

The NCC established the CSIRT as the telecom industry's cyber security incident center to focus on occurrences that may have an impact on telecom users and the general public.

Additionally, the CSIRT collaborates with ngCERT, which was created by the Federal Government to lessen the frequency of future computer risk incidents by planning, safeguarding, and securing Nigerian cyberspace to prevent assaults, issues, or associated events