KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — Kaspersky’s annual analysis observed a downward trend in the number of attacks on mobile users but experts warned that cybercriminals have shifted their focus to banking and gaming.
Kaspersky Southeast Asia general manager Yeo Siang Tiong stated that there were fewer mobile attacks in 2021, but these attacks have become more complex as malicious apps are disguised as legitimate apps that can be downloaded from the official app stores.
“Deleting apps from official stores does not always lead to victory over the malware, as we see the developers upload new modified versions to the store, under different names and different developer accounts.
“It is quite hard to notice, but our team will continue to monitor and report these malicious apps,” he said in a statement today.
The statement also stated that in 2019, Malaysia was ranked 10th worldwide with a 27.36 per cent share of users targeted by mobile malware, which dropped to 19.68 per cent in 2020 and further reduced to 12.43 per cent in 2021.
Android maintains its position as the leading mobile operating system worldwide, thus remaining a cybercriminal target due to the high number of users.
“Our money and essential data are currently in our mobile devices, so it is important for every Android device to install a reliable security app to guard their privacy and identity and be protected from common malware and advanced hacking tricks,” said Yeo.
Bank Negara Malaysia announced that 1.87 billion electronic money transactions were made from January to November 2021, amounting to RM45.2 billion, and some have reported having lost their money in electronic transactions.
Kaspersky expects cybercriminals to focus on doing advanced scams and social engineering attempts, using non-technology-focused attacks, while exploiting human vulnerabilities in mobile users in Southeast Asia.
“Our experts also expect an even more significant wave of attacks on cryptocurrency businesses and even against the rising non-fungible token (NFT), as Malaysia, in particular, is leading in terms of NFT ownership, at 23.9 per cent across the region,” he said.
— Bernama
