Google took nine different apps off the Google Play Store and banned the developers from publishing new apps. This took place after antivirus company Dr. Web provided the tech giant with details on trojan viruses that were stealing Facebook login credentials.
The apps that contained malware and were later removed are as follows: App Lock Keep, App Lock Manager, Horoscope Daily, Horoscope Pi, Inwell Fitness, Lockit Master, PIP Photo, Processing Photo, and Rubbish Cleaner. The impact varies widely for many of the apps. App Lock Manager, Horoscope Pi, and Lockit Master were all downloaded less than 10,000 times combined according to Dr. Web but PIP Photo was downloaded almost 6 million times.
The applications essentially led users to believe they were logging into Facebook when in reality the login credentials were being sent to a server belonging to the attackers. If you or anyone you know used any of these applications then we’d recommend checking over your accounts, updating passwords, and thoroughly checking your phone after uninstalling the apps.
It’s worth mentioning that these attackers could come back without too much difficulty too. Their specific accounts were banned but they can apply for another account and pop back up under a different name. It’s good to remain informed about the apps you download and websites you visit but the future looks promising with the changes coming from big tech. Apple recently became Google’s largest corporate cloud customer for their cloud storage while preparing for the launch of iCloud+, which provides several helpful features, including Private Relay, Hide my Email, and more.
While Apple and Google continue increasing security on their devices and applications, there are steps users can take to protect themselves. Trusted security and antivirus apps can be downloaded to protect yourself while also providing you with more privacy. It’s important to consider in a world where our information is increasingly at risk as we exist online more often every day.
