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RELENTLESS MOBILE 
THREATS TO AVOID 
By Lookout, Inc.
 
Every day, Lookout analyzes more than 
30,000 apps from around the world.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
While most apps are safe, a handful of them pose notable risks.
1 
APPS THAT SPY 
ON YOU
It sounds like the stuff of James Bond, but some apps 
can spy on everything you do with your phone. 
WE CALL THIS 
SURVEILLANCEWARE 
1 
Apps that spy on you
WHY IT’S DANGEROUS 
The malware accesses personal data stored on the device 
and continues to collect new information based on your 
activity on the phone (envision a husband looking for 
evidence of his spouse’s cheating). This can put you at risk of 
identity fraud and result in your pictures, videos, browser 
history, call history, and more falling into the wrong hands. 
1 
Apps that spy on you
HOW YOU ENCOUNTER IT 
Surveillanceware is effectively spyware that is sold with a warning: in 
order for you to use the product legally, you must inform the person 
that they are being watched. Surveillanceware gets on your phone 
when someone takes your device and downloads the software. 
! 
In 2014, we found tens of thousands of people affected by 
Surveillanceware. 
1 
Apps that spy on you
SAFETY TIP: 
! 
• Setting a pin or passcode on your device is your first 
line of defense against an unauthorized third-party, 
making it that much harder for someone to install 
unwanted software on your phone. 
1 
Apps that spy on you
2 
APPS THAT HOLD 
YOUR PHONE FOR 
RANSOM
One of the worst feelings is being forced into doing something you don’t want 
to do. Unfortunately, there are mobile applications that do just that. This type of 
malware locks a victim’s device, demanding money in return for access. 
WE CALL THIS 
RANSOMWARE 
2 
Apps that hold your phone for ransom
WHY IT’S DANGEROUS 
It often uses fear to get what it wants. A user might lose their data or 
the use of their device overall as many of these pieces of malware 
are extremely difficult to remove (oftentimes because victims give 
the ransomware “device admin” privileges). If the victim gives in to 
the ransom, they can be out hundreds of dollars with no guarantee 
that their device’s activity will be restored. 
2 
Apps that hold your phone for ransom
HOW YOU ENCOUNTER IT 
Recently, we’ve seen ransomware targeting the U.S. through drive-by 
downloads, or when a victim has malware secretly downloaded to their 
device when they visit a “malicious” or infected website. It is also likely 
distributed through spam campaigns. 
! 
In 2014, we believe over a million people have encountered ransomware. 
2 
Apps that hold your phone for ransom
SAFETY TIPS: 
• Avoid awarding device administrator to applications 
unless you’re really sure of what they do 
• Only download applications from developers you know 
and trust 
• Download a mobile security app such as Lookout, 
which can detect these threats before you ever open 
them 
2 
Apps that hold your phone for ransom
3 
MALWARE THAT USES 
YOUR PHONE WITHOUT 
YOUR PERMISSION
We discovered malware that infects its victims by secretly 
downloading the malware to your phone when you visit bad websites. 
Once on your phone, the malware lets criminals send things like 
scalped tickets or send spam campaigns through your phone. 
WE CALL THIS 
NOTCOMPATIBLE 
3 
Malware That Uses Your Phone Without Your Permission
WHY IT’S DANGEROUS 
You don’t want activity you didn’t approve happening on your device. 
NotCompatible has the ability to trick websites into thinking that web 
traffic is coming from your phone when it’s actually coming from 
another destination. For example, ticket scalpers use Not Compatible 
to buy tickets through your phone to later be resold. When they use 
your phone as a “proxy” to access, say, TicketMaster, that website then 
believes it’s you accessing it and not the real culprits -- the scalpers. 
You’re caught in the middle of the scheme without ever knowing it. 
3 
Malware That Uses Your Phone Without Your Permission
HOW YOU ENCOUNTER IT 
NotCompatible is downloaded to a person’s phone after they access a 
website that is secretly harboring malware. This is called a “drive-by 
download” and is only possible when the “unknown sources” setting on 
an Android is enabled. We’ve also seen links to sites secretly 
downloading NotCompatible in phishing emails. 
! 
In 2014, we found hundreds of thousands of people affected by 
NotCompatible. 
3 
Malware That Uses Your Phone Without Your Permission
SAFETY TIPS: 
• Avoid opening spam email. Unexpected emails from long lost 
friends with generic titles such as ‘hot news’ ‘You Won $1000” are 
normally a good indication that an email is spam. 
• Use common sense when clicking on links. If it’s not a website 
name that you recognize, err on the side of caution. Be especially 
careful when receiving links that have been ‘shortened’ (e.g. bit.ly/ 
ABCD), as it stops you from seeing what website you might be 
traveling to. 
• If your mobile device unexpectedly starts downloading a file that 
you weren’t expecting, don’t click on it – delete it! 
• Download a mobile security app like Lookout that scans for 
malware 
• Disable the “unknown sources” setting in your Android 
3 
Malware That Uses Your Phone Without Your Permission
4 
AGGRESSIVE AD 
NETWORKS
Advertisements fuel the mobile ecosystem and allow us to enjoy 
free apps like Candy Crush and Instagram, but some mobile 
advertising practices cross the line and put your privacy at risk. 
WE CALL THIS ADWARE 
4 
Aggressive ad networks
WHY IT’S DANGEROUS 
Adware grabs a lot of highly personal information about you 
(like email, location, and contacts) that you might not realize is 
being taken. It can also modify phone settings and desktops 
without properly notifying you or getting your consent. Just 
because it’s tracking you for seemingly innocuous “advertising 
reasons” doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be informed. 
4 
Aggressive ad networks
HOW YOU ENCOUNTER IT 
Adware is often added to what can seem like a normal app that you 
download from an app store. Lookout flags adware based on these 
guidelines. 
! 
In 2014, millions of people were affected by Adware. 
4 
Aggressive ad networks
SAFETY TIPS: 
! 
• First things first, check the app reviews – make sure 
there aren’t complaints about overactive, intrusive, or 
privacy-breaching advertisements. 
! 
• Before hitting install, review what personal information 
the app collects. If you’re uncomfortable with what’s 
being harvested, don’t use the app. 
4 
Aggressive and pushy ad networks
For more mobile security tips, follow

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Relentless Mobile Threats to Avoid

  • 1. RELENTLESS MOBILE THREATS TO AVOID By Lookout, Inc.
  • 2.  Every day, Lookout analyzes more than 30,000 apps from around the world.
  • 3.        While most apps are safe, a handful of them pose notable risks.
  • 4. 1 APPS THAT SPY ON YOU
  • 5. It sounds like the stuff of James Bond, but some apps can spy on everything you do with your phone. WE CALL THIS SURVEILLANCEWARE 1 Apps that spy on you
  • 6. WHY IT’S DANGEROUS The malware accesses personal data stored on the device and continues to collect new information based on your activity on the phone (envision a husband looking for evidence of his spouse’s cheating). This can put you at risk of identity fraud and result in your pictures, videos, browser history, call history, and more falling into the wrong hands. 1 Apps that spy on you
  • 7. HOW YOU ENCOUNTER IT Surveillanceware is effectively spyware that is sold with a warning: in order for you to use the product legally, you must inform the person that they are being watched. Surveillanceware gets on your phone when someone takes your device and downloads the software. ! In 2014, we found tens of thousands of people affected by Surveillanceware. 1 Apps that spy on you
  • 8. SAFETY TIP: ! • Setting a pin or passcode on your device is your first line of defense against an unauthorized third-party, making it that much harder for someone to install unwanted software on your phone. 1 Apps that spy on you
  • 9. 2 APPS THAT HOLD YOUR PHONE FOR RANSOM
  • 10. One of the worst feelings is being forced into doing something you don’t want to do. Unfortunately, there are mobile applications that do just that. This type of malware locks a victim’s device, demanding money in return for access. WE CALL THIS RANSOMWARE 2 Apps that hold your phone for ransom
  • 11. WHY IT’S DANGEROUS It often uses fear to get what it wants. A user might lose their data or the use of their device overall as many of these pieces of malware are extremely difficult to remove (oftentimes because victims give the ransomware “device admin” privileges). If the victim gives in to the ransom, they can be out hundreds of dollars with no guarantee that their device’s activity will be restored. 2 Apps that hold your phone for ransom
  • 12. HOW YOU ENCOUNTER IT Recently, we’ve seen ransomware targeting the U.S. through drive-by downloads, or when a victim has malware secretly downloaded to their device when they visit a “malicious” or infected website. It is also likely distributed through spam campaigns. ! In 2014, we believe over a million people have encountered ransomware. 2 Apps that hold your phone for ransom
  • 13. SAFETY TIPS: • Avoid awarding device administrator to applications unless you’re really sure of what they do • Only download applications from developers you know and trust • Download a mobile security app such as Lookout, which can detect these threats before you ever open them 2 Apps that hold your phone for ransom
  • 14. 3 MALWARE THAT USES YOUR PHONE WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION
  • 15. We discovered malware that infects its victims by secretly downloading the malware to your phone when you visit bad websites. Once on your phone, the malware lets criminals send things like scalped tickets or send spam campaigns through your phone. WE CALL THIS NOTCOMPATIBLE 3 Malware That Uses Your Phone Without Your Permission
  • 16. WHY IT’S DANGEROUS You don’t want activity you didn’t approve happening on your device. NotCompatible has the ability to trick websites into thinking that web traffic is coming from your phone when it’s actually coming from another destination. For example, ticket scalpers use Not Compatible to buy tickets through your phone to later be resold. When they use your phone as a “proxy” to access, say, TicketMaster, that website then believes it’s you accessing it and not the real culprits -- the scalpers. You’re caught in the middle of the scheme without ever knowing it. 3 Malware That Uses Your Phone Without Your Permission
  • 17. HOW YOU ENCOUNTER IT NotCompatible is downloaded to a person’s phone after they access a website that is secretly harboring malware. This is called a “drive-by download” and is only possible when the “unknown sources” setting on an Android is enabled. We’ve also seen links to sites secretly downloading NotCompatible in phishing emails. ! In 2014, we found hundreds of thousands of people affected by NotCompatible. 3 Malware That Uses Your Phone Without Your Permission
  • 18. SAFETY TIPS: • Avoid opening spam email. Unexpected emails from long lost friends with generic titles such as ‘hot news’ ‘You Won $1000” are normally a good indication that an email is spam. • Use common sense when clicking on links. If it’s not a website name that you recognize, err on the side of caution. Be especially careful when receiving links that have been ‘shortened’ (e.g. bit.ly/ ABCD), as it stops you from seeing what website you might be traveling to. • If your mobile device unexpectedly starts downloading a file that you weren’t expecting, don’t click on it – delete it! • Download a mobile security app like Lookout that scans for malware • Disable the “unknown sources” setting in your Android 3 Malware That Uses Your Phone Without Your Permission
  • 19. 4 AGGRESSIVE AD NETWORKS
  • 20. Advertisements fuel the mobile ecosystem and allow us to enjoy free apps like Candy Crush and Instagram, but some mobile advertising practices cross the line and put your privacy at risk. WE CALL THIS ADWARE 4 Aggressive ad networks
  • 21. WHY IT’S DANGEROUS Adware grabs a lot of highly personal information about you (like email, location, and contacts) that you might not realize is being taken. It can also modify phone settings and desktops without properly notifying you or getting your consent. Just because it’s tracking you for seemingly innocuous “advertising reasons” doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be informed. 4 Aggressive ad networks
  • 22. HOW YOU ENCOUNTER IT Adware is often added to what can seem like a normal app that you download from an app store. Lookout flags adware based on these guidelines. ! In 2014, millions of people were affected by Adware. 4 Aggressive ad networks
  • 23. SAFETY TIPS: ! • First things first, check the app reviews – make sure there aren’t complaints about overactive, intrusive, or privacy-breaching advertisements. ! • Before hitting install, review what personal information the app collects. If you’re uncomfortable with what’s being harvested, don’t use the app. 4 Aggressive and pushy ad networks
  • 24. For more mobile security tips, follow