During the past few months, Joker has become one of the most active Android malware infections. Joker rides on the coat-tails of seemingly legitimate apps, then covertly signs up users for pricey subscription services. It can also steal SMS messages, contact lists, and device information. 

Joker variations seem to arrive in batches, with a fresh batch leeching onto dozens of apps as recently as September. 

Joker Infiltrates The App Store

“One of the best ways to avoid malware and trojan apps is to use Google’s sanctioned app store,” says Emilio Simoni, PSafe’s dfndr lab Research Director, “but unfortunately, Joker has managed to disguise itself and mutate so profusely, that it has found its way on to several apps within the official Google Play marketplace. Of course third party app stores are also offering Joker-tainted apps — so the best protection is going to be a strong security app that sniffs out malware-tainted apps immediately, like our dfndr security Pro.”

Google removes the offending apps as soon as they’re reported — but the high rate of variation and concealment with this particular trojan keeps bringing new specimens on board.

Delay Tactics

“Part of what makes Joker so effective is that it waits to take effect,” Simoni remarks. “After the trojan-app is downloaded (many of these are knockoffs of better-known apps) it waits to drop a very small packet of code, it then reaches out to the server that loads the malware that does all the dirty work.” 

What Can You Do To Stay Safe?

Good hygiene with your digital devices includes:

• Installing only the apps that you need and use. Loading up your device with as many apps as you can imagine using is a hazardous path. 
• Being wary. Look for apps from developers you know and trust.  Do a little background checking and make sure that cool new app is coming from a known and trusted provider.
• Cleaning house periodically. To keep the number of apps you use to a minimum, do a periodic review of the apps on your phone and delete the ones you’re not using. 

“Good security habits are always the first step,” Simoni observes, “but we can see that with truly devious malware like Joker, personal vigilance may not be enough.  When a piece of malware is mutating on a monthly basis, you need a dedicated security solution to help keep you safe.” 

The Best Defense Begins BEFORE Dangerous Apps Are Downloaded

An excellent way to protect yourself is to use a security application like dfndr security Pro, which has a dedicated Safe App Installer that can tell you if the app you’re about to install has been identified as malware.  This is exactly what the Safe App Installer does: it AUTOMATICALLY protects you from malware and apps known to compromise your data — before you even install them.

More Protection for Your Digital Life

Safe App Installer is only one of the key features dfndr security Pro offers.  It also comes with a full suite of security capabilities that can protect you not only from digital threats, but from thieves “IRL” as well.

Beyond Safe App, there are four additional features dfndr security Pro offers to protect you and make your digital life easier:

Anti-theft protection: Protects against physical loss that leads to data loss: in case of theft or loss of your device, you can lock  it down remotely, find the phone on a map; or, activate a loud alarm to find it nearby. You can also get a picture of the thief, and wipe the phone of your personal data.

Privacy Protection: You can locate on a map where your app data is going and how it might be used by third-parties.

Unlimited Identity Theft Reports: These reports provide “perimeter defense,”looking out for privacy vulnerabilities beyond your own device. These reports reveal if any of your information has been leaked, with a one-click check of a database with over 10 billion compromised credentials. 

Ad-Free: As an extra bonus, Pro is totally ad-free.

Get The Protection You Need Today

Click here to download dfndr security and free trial dfndr security Pro to put all of these features to work securing your phone, your data, and your digital life. dfndr security Pro offers a full suite of protection, constantly updated, to make sure “you’re safe out there.”

Source: Checkpoint Research

The figure above, from Checkpoint Research, shows a significant ramp-up (and spike) in Cyberattacks as pupils returned to remote classes, held via online meeting platforms and tools. Worth noting in this figure is the fact that this sector has always been more vulnerable to attack, but is even more so now.

“The urgency of the situation and the speed with which schools needed to make online learning avaccommodations is a kind of perfect storm for hackers and cyber criminals,” explains Emilio Simoni, director at the dfndr lab. “The numbers and the activity convincingly demonstrate that security can’t be taken for granted, or arranged last minute,” Simoni adds.

The range of methods used to attack educational institutions is similar to the kinds of attacks seen in the general population: phishing, ransomware, and malicious apps are all in play — along with the “Zoombombs” receiving more exposure and attention. 

If you haven’t heard: Zoombombs are unwanted take-overs of hosted meeting sessions by hackers. Note that the Zoom app is not especially vulnerable — but its widespread popularity as a meeting-host service has simply caused the name to be associated with the phenomenon. Distributed denial of service attacks (DDOS) are also common. These are purposeful efforts to overwhelm the capacity of a given connection or platform, and frequently they’re the “blunt weapon” of choice for ransom-motivated attacks.

“Of course institutions need to take steps to protect themselves with enterprise grade security solutions,” Simoni notes, “but teachers and student families have to be wary as well.”  Adds Simoni: “If you’re attending classes through a digital connection at home or on-the-go, you will want to have a personal solution you can rely on.”

For these purposes, dfndr security PRO offers a full suite of  capabilities, including:

Anti Hacking Protection: Anti-hacking protects users from malicious URLs and phishing sites. It also blocks scams directly on the SMS app, web browsers and messaging apps (WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger).

Safe App Installer: Lets you know if an app is safe — before you install it.

Wi Fi Theft Protection: Protect you WiFi connection and immediately be notified if anyone is trying to intrude upon or hijack you wifi connection.

App Privacy Scan: Know which installed apps on your device are malicious, or have already been victim of leaks. Also easily see the permissions granted for each app, and where they send data they collect from you.

You can use this link to learn more about dfndr security, and also consider upgrading to our PRO offering. You’ll be glad to know that Anti-Hacking comes with the free version of our solution.

With governmental funding for improved education-institutional security defenses still up in the air, the necessity for students and families to protect themselves is keener than ever.  

We’ll keep you posted on any specific / large-scale attacks, but for now, a good security solution should be considered a requirement for any online student family.

LEARN MORE BY TRYING OUT OUR APP: You’ll get Anti-Hacking protection and be able to see anyone who is priating your WiFi signal with our free dfndr security program. You can download it for free here, and try it out yourself!

Read More: America’s most common scams and digital threats: what to watch for in 2021

Hackers Are More Sophisticated Than Ever

“Hackers are always looking for ways to exploit new security holes in order to elaborate and refine their attack methods. Take phishing as an example. Over time, we’ve seen that these fake pages have become increasingly realistic — and they’re using advanced techniques, like social-engineering to radically increase the number of victims they recruit with each strike,” explains Emilio Simoni,  PSafe’s director at dfndr lab.

To respond to this increasing sophistication, dfndr security Pro offers a smartly integrated set of tools to create an effective defense against the most common (and damaging!) security and privacy problems routinely reported by smartphone users.

By now, you may well have heard the name dfndr security. After all, the app has more than 150 million downloads worldwide, and now has a premium version, dfndr security pro. If you’re considering adding security to your phone to protect yourself, dfndr security should definitely be on your shortlist. 

What is dfndr security?

dfndr security was the first application of the dfndr family (yes, it’s pronounced: “defender”), developed by PSafe – a leader in mobile security in the Americas. dfndr security protects your phone against malware, phishing, and other cyber threats using state-of-the-art technology. It also protects the phone itself: in case of loss or theft, the app enables you to lock and locate your device remotely.

In addition, dfndr security is the only application on the market that offers constantly updated, real-time protection against scams within WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and SMS. In total, the app has more than 10 functions focused on ensuring the privacy and security of its users. You can also choose between the free or premium plan – which removes advertisements within the app and gives access to even more powerful security features.

Is dfndr security premium Good?

The key to dfndr’s great track record is research: a vast database of scams and hacks that is constantly updated. In the first half of 2021 alone, dfndr security detected more than 28 million online scams. According to the analysis released by the application, approximately 3.2 million of these online scams were accessed by Americans in that period.

With the sophistication of cyber attacks, it has become increasingly difficult to identify them without the help of a specialized tool. That is why DeMello warns that it’s essential that smartphone users have a security feature installed on their mobile phone that provides protection against virtual threats.

What do experts say about dfndr security?

AV-TEST, a worldwide expert in analyzing digital security products, periodically reviews security software for their effectiveness and performance. According to tests carried out by the institute, dfndr security received a maximum mark on malware detection abilities more than 20 times and obtained the best index – number 6 – in all aspects of security and usability.

In Google Play, for example, dfndr security received more than 5.5 million ratings and has an average 4.5 satisfaction rating. This means that more than 90% of all the people who installed gave a positive nod to the application. Check out some of the comments:

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What’s Included in dfndr security premium?

In addition to all the features of the free plan, dfndr security offers 5 more features.

Premium Feature 1: Identity Theft Reports

This feature will help you find out if your data has been leaked to the Internet, and where the source of the leak is. As you know, even the biggest companies and platforms have had data breaches: Facebook, LinkedIn, Dropbox, Adobe, and Snapchat. When these events occur, millions of users’ data files are leaked on the internet.

“Hackers vary greatly in the way they invade security software to leak data. Whether by infiltrating large enterprise systems, creating new phishing scams or spreading malware, the truth is that all these methods inevitably end up exposing sensitive information at some point,” DeMello explains.

However, users can verify if their data leaked over the internet easily with the dfndr pro Identity Theft Report feature. It lets you know if information such as email, passwords, history of private conversations or home addresses have been exposed, when it happened, and how it was disclosed. Just input your email address and a complete search shows the results.

Premium Feature 2: Anti-Theft Protection

Ever thought you could find your mobile phone in case of loss or theft and know who the culprit is? The dfndr pro Anti-theft feature has 5 benefits that help you locate your phone and allows you to remotely control it:

Locate your device With the Anti-theft, it’s possible to know exactly where your phone is, in addition to triggering an alarm to locate it.

Delete data at a distance You can delete all installed apps, private messages, and photos from your mobile phone remotely.

Block intruder access To prevent intruders from accessing the contents of your mobile phone, simply activate your device lock via a password.

Get a picture of the thief If the thief attempts to access your device but fumbles the access code, you will receive an email with a photo of the criminal immediately.

Premium Feature 3: Safe App Installer

“Hackers have stepped up their use of malicious apps to gain access to you information and to expand permissions on your devices,” DeMello says, “this is why we developed Safe App, which scans apps for malicious code before you even install them.”  Safe App gives users a clear and timely security alert if it recognizes problems with an app you’re installing.

Premium Feature 4: Privacy Scan

The dfndr pro Privacy Scan enables users to know which apps on your phone have already been victim of leaks, what permissions you have been granted for each app, and where they send the collected information. “Privacy Scans are a great way to stay informed about the Security Performance of apps and platforms you use on your phone every day,” DeMello adds.  

BONUS Premium Feature: dfndr security Pro Is Ad-Free 

It’s common for apps to contain ads. After all, advertising is the only way that app developers can monetize their products and keep them completely free, up-to-date, and available to the entire population. But at times, advertisements can become annoying to encounter.

But dfndr security pro is completely ads-free and also allows you to choose which notifications you receive, either from dfndr security or from other apps. You’ll be safe, secure, and satisfied, knowing your protections are the best.

Try AV-TEST approved dfndr security premium and get to know these beneficial features:

How Fakespy Entices Users

“Hackers are always looking for our soft spots,” remarks Emilio Simoni, PSafe’s dfndr lab Research Director “and FakeSpy uses the natural excitement people have for receiving a package of some kind. Most people immediately want to know who sent you something, and what you might have received.”

Typically, this malware loads via a fake app posing as the website for your country’s mail service — in America, the USPS; in England, the Royal Mail, and so on.  The fake app is designed to look like the real thing, and once it downloads and the fake transaction is completed, it actually passes the user on through to the real USPS site, to avoid detection. Meanwhile, the malware has loaded, and a broad host of information stealing is underway: financial information, account information, app information, contact lists — Fakespy can even read other SMS messages.  And, like most malware, Fakespy immediately begins its work to replicate itself by sending offers to its victims’ contact lists.

Permissions Required Provide a Warning…

“It’s a very sophisticated and still evolving malware,” Simoni warns, “the people behind it have been refining its design for some time now.” One strong warning-sign is that the app asks for extensive permissions — but many users have grown accustomed to approving these for sites they trust. “If the enticement of a missed package works and the fake mail-delivery site is compelling, it’s easy to see how victims can get manipulated,” Simoni says.

What Can You Do To Stay Safe?

“The first thing to remember is that hackers are using every venue available to them to get their software on your devices,” Simoni explains. “Add smishing and vishing to your malware vocabulary and keep in mind that callers and texters may not always be who they appear to be— or say they are.”  

However hard you work to stay informed, a good protection solution — with a team behind you, is almost essential to stay one step ahead of all the various threats evolving in the digital landscape.  

The Best Protection, For The Worst Threats

An excellent way to protect yourself is to always keep a security installed on your phone. dfndr security offers a full suite of security capabilities that can protect you not only from digital threat, but from everyday thieves as well. Click here to install for free.

(Remember, they steal devices and data too!) 

These are the features dfndr security Pro offers to protect you:

Safe App Installer: AUTOMATICALLY protects you from malware and apps known to have had data breaches — before you install them.

App Privacy Scan: You can locate on a map where your app data is going and how it might be used by third-parties.

Unlimited Identity Theft Reports: These reports provide an “outer-perimeter” defense, looking out for privacy vulnerabilities beyond your own device. These reports reveal if any of your information has been leaked, with a one-click check of a database with over 4 billion compromised credentials. 

Anti-theft Protection: Protects against physical loss that leads to data loss: in case of theft or loss of your device, you can lock it down remotely, find the phone on a map; or, activate a loud alarm to find it nearby. You can also get a picture of the thief, and wipe the phone of your personal data.

Ad-Free: As an extra bonus, Pro is totally ad-free.

Stay Safer!

With dfndr security in your toolbox, the rest is a matter of staying as aware as you can.  Follow a few simple rules to avoid and minimize digital damage:

• Take extra care with any link from an unknown source — and be extra wary if it promises a surprise of some kind. Check your curiosity!
• Don’t click on any links sent to you via email or SMS from unknown people.  And if you get a link from somebody you know, ask: WHY would he / she send me this?
• Only download or install software from trusted sources!
• Make sure you do regular backups on your machines!

Be careful, and we’ll keep you informed as always, whenever we hear more about Fakespy, or any other major threats!

Do you know what to do in those moments?

Fortunately, today, technology has advanced enough that defensive features can help guarantee the recovery of your device and / or files, and protect your information. 

So, how do you find your cell phone and protect your files in case of loss or theft of your device? 

With the dfndr security anti-theft protection, you can control your cell phone remotely and prevent third parties from accessing the contents of your device. This way you can defend your phone and information as soon as you realize it’s gone missing.

Here’s How to Activate Anti-Theft Protection:

For advanced protection against theft and loss to be active, just follow the steps:

• Open the dfndr security app. If you don’t have it yet, download it here.
• In the bottom menu, touch Tools > Anti-theft protection.

• Tap Next and enable permissions for contacts, location and phone calls.

• Choose an Account.
• Touch Continue to confirm receipt of the access code.
• Read the information and then tap Enable to use the feature.
• Touch Continue to confirm receipt of the access code.
• Read the information and then tap Enable to use the feature.

You will receive an email confirming the activation of Anti-Theft Protection. That’s when you know the feature is active!

Accessing Anti-Theft Functions

Once it’s running, you can access your Antitheft dashboard at http://meu.psafe.com

Through the MyPSafe website, you can locate your device, lock the screen, activate the alarm and erase all data. The tool was made for you to give commands to your cell phone remotely. This gives control and helps ensure your privacy in case of loss or theft.

As a PRO user, you have full access to the Theft Protection function of dfndr security, which includes the following features:

Locating your device

With Anti-Theft Protection, it is possible to know exactly where your cell phone is, in addition to setting an alarm to find it.

Erasing data remotely

With this feature, you can erase all installed apps, private messages and photos from your phone remotely.

Block access by intruders

To prevent intruders from accessing the contents of your cell phone, simply activate your device’s password lock.

Receive a photo of the thief

If the thief tries to access your device, but misses the access code, you will instantly receive an email with the photo of the criminal.

This combination of capabilities is the best way to protect your phone from thieves. 

DON’T SETTLE FOR LESS!

However, there’s one great reason to always stay on top of things and update your Android apps whenever they offer one. And it may just be the best reason of all: SECURITY.

“Most apps will update for a variety of different reasons, but one of the most common reasons is security,” says Emilio Simoni, Research Director at dfndr lab. “Engineers are always testing and discovering vulnerabilities in their apps, so even if an update has no new features, for your own good, you should make it a habit to update. Or, set your device to update apps automatically.”  

Why You Should ALWAYS Update dfndr security

dfndr security’s main objective is to keep you safe. That is the reason why you should always do updates with dfndr security immediately when you receive notice of them. Our antivirus database is constantly being updated, often with the defense against the latest, most widespread threats – so if there’s ONE app you want to keep up to date, make it dfndr security.

Why not take a moment and check now to see if your drndr security is up to date?

Follow the instructions from Google below to make sure your dfndr security app always updates automatically:

• Open the Google Play Store app.
• Tap Menu > and then > My apps & games.
• Select dfndr security as the app you want to update.
• Tap More.
• Tap Enable auto update.

dfndr security will then update automatically when updates are available. To turn off automatic updates, just uncheck the box.  This is what the Enable Auto Update looks like when selected:

Set Your Android Apps To Update Automatically

Android lets you control automatic updating so that it always occurs only when you’re connected to WiFi. Setting to Auto Update with WiFi is a great way to make sure all your apps are always up to the second.  Here’s how to make that happen:

• Open the Google Play Store app.
• Tap Menu, Menu and then Settings.
• Tap Auto-update apps.
• Select the Over Wi-Fi only option to automatically update apps only when connected to Wi-Fi.

If you need to do an emergency update and you have no WiFi you can override this setting.

Viruses, Hackers, and Malware Are Out There.  Keep them OUT!

“We’re seeing lots of aggressive activity among hackers since the start of the Coronavirus Pandemic,” Emilio reminds us, “If you keep your dfndr security always app up-to-date it’s going to give you the best protection we have to make sure you can use the web safely.” Simoni concludes: “And right now, with social distancing still in effect in so many places, you want to make sure your access to the web is safe and secure.”

A Perfect Storm For Scams and Disinformation

The behavioral and psychological changes required to make social distancing work are significant: everything from sharing a home or apartment for an entire day (and with more people, especially if you have kids), to figuring out how to go to the grocery store and shop safely.  The combination of emotional, physical, and psychological stressors, combined with significantly increased internet and email “screen-time” for most people, has created a kind of perfect storm for online scams, con-artists, and disinformation. Another powerful factor driving this storm is curiosity: people are extremely hungry to hear news, and hopeful / practical news in particular.  Scammers have stepped into make the most of these factors, and as Emilio Simoni, Research Director at the dfndr Lab explains: “What we’re seeing is cybercriminals redoubling their efforts to create more, increasingly sophisticated scams, in order to reap profit from baseless, sensational ads or news — or through thefts of personal and financial data. The information they offer is almost invariably false, and sometimes the information itself is immediately dangerous to victims who act on it.”

No Slowing Down: Scammers Are Busier Than Ever!

The pace and inventiveness of coronavirus scams appears to be picking up. Emilio Simoni and the dfndr Lab Security Team have gathered the following examples together. Note that these items by no means constitute a complete list of scams in operation.  We share these with you so you can get a richer sense of the variety of these scams, and the methods they employ.

A multilingual scam using the Nike brand name was discovered by the dfndr Lab Security Team (see image above). The scammers used geolocation to adapt the language used to the victims: it showed messages in Portuguese, English, or Spanish, depending on the visitor’s locale. Some generic questions were used to draw people in, and after they were drawn in they were automatically redirected to another domain, full of ads. It was through impressions of these ads that the cybercriminals reaped their profits.

Emilio also notes that “Cyberattacks are becoming more and more sophisticated. One of the most popular scams leveraging the pandemic is the one that falsely promoted a free 1-year subscription for Netflix. The cybercriminals study how official companies and websites offer promotions and sales, then mimic their approach, which can help to create a extremely convincing page.” You can see the example Emilio cites, immediately above.

The dfndr Lab Security Team has also discovered cyberattacks connected to fake profiles on Facebook, also known as bots. These bots are especially prevalent in Facebook Private Groups. Of 3 bots discovered and analyzed by the dfndr Lab, one had engaged more than 10k interactions. These bots used intelligent techniques to persuade the victims, “talking” through pre-recorded messages that request personal information. The most common themes used by these bots to attract new victims were 1) registration to receive the government social security benefits,  and 2) offering a map to check the coronavirus spread around the world. The dfndr Lab also notes that many scams in the US are being disseminated through Facebook Messenger. So be careful!

Paypal phishing attacks have also grown exponentially since the beginning of the pandemic. Dfndr lab stipulates that during the month of March, scam emails fraudulently claiming to be from PayPal, and seeking private information, reached over 1.4k users in the US alone. 

With people all over the world sheltering in place, virtual meeting providers Zoom, has been in high demand. The dfndr Lab detected 4 fake domains using their name. The URLs were hiding trojans that could act in different ways: seeming to install the Zoom app, but redirecting victims to another website full of ads, and rapidly consuming your phone battery.

What Can You Do?

This is a story that will continue to move fast, so the examples above will be joined by new and different examples by time you read this. As Emilio Simoni pointed out, hackers all over the world are in HIGH PRODUCTION mode during this crisis. They’re going to keep inventing new and more devious ways to get information, and steal from you.  

You need to protect yourself. So make sure you’re using a security solution that’s built to alert you immediately when you access a scam site, or interact with a known digital virus “carrier.” dfndr Security has an excellent Anti-Hacking feature you can activate. 

If you upgrade to the dfndr Pro version, you’ll get the added benefit of a Safe App Installer (which warns you if an app you’re about to install may be a vector for malware). It also offers Identity Theft Protection to keep your email safe as well. 

Consider Going Pro

One of the best ways to protect yourself right now is to upgrade your dfndr app (if you haven’t already) to dfndr Pro.  Pro gives you these added protections:

Unlimited Identity Theft Reports: You can check if any of your account credentials have been leaked on the internet.

Anti-theft protection: In case of theft or loss, you can lock down your device remotely, find the phone on a map; or, activate a loud alarm to find it nearby. You can also get a picture of the thief, and wipe the phone of your personal data.

Safe App Installer: You’ll know if an app has previously had data breaches before installing.

App Privacy Scan: You can locate on a map where your app data is going and how it might be used by third-parties.

Ads free version: Totally ad-free

Use this link to learn more about dfndr Pro, and consider upgrading. 

Everyday Digital Hygiene Matters Now Too 

Just as avoiding coronavirus requires that you keep your hands clean (and keep them away from you face!) — digital hygiene is achieved through simple steps as well. Now’s a time to make doubly sure that you:

• NEVER click on links sent to you from unknown people. 
• Look very closely at emails: If the source looks or sounds like someone you know but the name or email address seems even slightly off…stay away! Leveraging contact and friend information is one of the most common paths for scammers to load malware or get your private information.
• Only download or install software from trusted sources. Make sure you double check url’s! The Anti-Hacking feature on dfndr will protect you from malware and known hacking sites. 
• Use reliable sources, such as legitimate government websites, to get real, fact-checked stories and information on COVID-19. Be aware that scammers will be pulling at you emotionally. This is a hard time for everyone, but do everything you can to stay cool and grounded: your ability to “count to three” before clicking or responding to a link or headline is more important now than ever.

We’re going to keep working to keep you informed and up to date.  Until next time, we hope you and yours can stay safe and stay well!