Reportage
Mobile Applications
are a favoured target for hackers in 2014
I
nformation security experts anticipate that smartphone
and tablet applications will be the top target for online
hackers and malicious software in 2014. They attribute
this to the expansion in the use of such phones with two
billion users at least worldwide.
They added that applications constitute
a high-value target for hackers since the
majority of smartphone and tablet users
store all their personal and financial data
on such devices, rendering them a tempt-
ing target for hackers. Additionally, a large
portion of users do not use reliable or ad-
equate security protection software.
Hamed Diab, Regional Director - MENA
of McAfee, said that the Internet testing
laboratories at the company found a 30%
growth in the number of malicious attacks
and software targeting smartphone oper-
ating systems, especially Android.
He explained that malicious software
targeting this type of operating systems
has several risks and impact on users as
it allows user accounts to conduct cross
checks on applications through new sig-
natures that use the users’ identity, allow-
ing the further spread of Trojan horses. At
this point, passwords can be stolen, and
immune versions of fake and counterfeit
software of legitimate and original applica-
tions can be reproduced.
McAfee’s regional director also pointed
out that the company’s laboratories spot-
