The Nigerian Communications Commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) has flagged a new malware, HiddenAds, which has infiltrated Google Play Store that can impact device performance and jeopardize users’ privacy.
In its advisory of August 8, 2022, NCC-CSIRT classified the virus, first identified by the McAfee Mobile Research Team, as high in probability and damage potential.
The malware infiltrated the Google Play Store in the form of several device cleaners or optimization apps.
According to the summary provided by NCC-CSIRT “Upon installation, it can run malicious services without the user opening the app. It also spams the user with irrelevant advertisements. The apps have received downloads ranging from 100,000 to over a million.
“Some of the apps HiddenAds masquerades as are: Junk Cleaner, EasyCleaner, Power Doctor, Carpet Clean, Super Clean, Meteor Clean, Strong Clean, Windy Clean, Fingertip Cleaner, Keep Clean, Full Clean – Clean Cache, Quick Cleaner, and Cool Clean.
“When a user installs any of the aforementioned apps, whether the user has opened the app or not, a malicious service is immediately installed on the device. The app will then attempt to blend into the app tray by changing its icon to the Google Play icon that every Android user is familiar with. Its name will also change to ‘Google Play’ or ‘Setting’. The device will then be bombarded with ads in a variety of deceptive ways, severely impairing the user experience,” the advisory stated.
Anyone that installs the compromised app will experience their device performance suffering significantly, clicking on the ads may result in stealth downloads/installation of other malware, users may inadvertently subscribe to services and be billed on a monthly basis, and the privacy of users will be jeopardized.
NCC-CSIRT advised users to avoid downloading questionable apps or apps they are unsure about while those who have installed any of the identified malicious apps should immediately delete them.
It further disclosed that where the malicious app’s icon and name have changed, it can be identified by the fact that it is removable while the legitimate Google Play app cannot be uninstalled.
The advisory recommended the installation of anti-virus/anti-malware software with a proven track record for detecting and removing malware.
The Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) is the telecom sector’s cyber security incidence centre set up by the NCC to focus on incidents in the telecom sector and as they may affect telecom consumers and citizens at large.
The CSIRT also works collaboratively with the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), established by the Federal Government to reduce the volume of future computer risks incidents by preparing, protecting and securing the Nigerian cyberspace to forestall attacks, problems or related events.
Popular microblogging app, Twitter has unveiled its new logo.
The new logo was made public by Twitter owner Elon Musk and its new CEO.
The social media app on Sunday hinted that it would ditch its bird logo, be rebranded with the name X and move quickly into payments, banking and commerce, according to AFP.
Founded in 2006, Twitter takes its name from the sound of birds chattering, and it has used avian branding since its early days, when the company bought a stock symbol of a light blue bird for $15, according to the design website Creative Bloq.
Tweeting a picture of the company’s new logo – a white X on a black background – late Sunday night, Twitter chief executive Linda Yaccarino said “X is here! Let’s do this.”
Also late Sunday night, Musk changed his profile picture to the company’s new logo, which he described as “minimalist art deco,” and changed his Twitter bio to “X.com,” which now redirects to twitter.com.
Musk had earlier tweeted that “If a good enough X logo is posted tonight, we’ll make (it) go live worldwide tomorrow.”
Musk also tweeted that under the site’s new identity, a post would be called “an X.”
The changes were not visible on the website as of 0630 GMT Monday.
Musk had already named Twitter’s parent company the X Corporation, and previously said his takeover of the social media giant was “an accelerant to creating X, the everything app” — a reference to the X.com company he founded in 1999, a later version of which went on to become payments giant PayPal.
Such an app could still function as a social media platform, and also include messaging and mobile payments.
“Powered by AI, X will connect us in ways we’re just beginning to imagine,” Yaccarino tweeted earlier on Sunday.
Yaccarino, an advertising sales executive at NBCUniversal who Musk poached last month to become Twitter’s CEO, said the social media platform was on the cusp of broadening its scope.
“X is the future state of unlimited interactivity – centered in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking – creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities,” Yaccarino tweeted.
Zhao made this known via his Twitter handle on Sunday, saying, “Binance Nigeria Limited a scam entity.”
“Binance has issued cease & desist notice to the scammer entity “Binance Nigeria Limited”. Don’t believe everything you read in the news,” he wrote.
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria had declared that Binance Nigeria was operating illegally in the country as it is not registered or regulated by the SEC.
Details later…
According to the app’s website, the “social internet” of the future will give users more options and creators “independence from platforms”.
However, the app is still under development and may only be accessed with an invite code.
“We’re building the AT Protocol, a new foundation for social networking which gives creators independence from platforms, developers the freedom to build, and users a choice in their experience,” the website stated.
Using financing from Twitter, Mr Dorsey started developing Bluesky as a side project in 2019. In late February, it was first rolled out to iOS users.
As per TechCrunch, the basic features for monitoring likes or bookmarks, modifying tweets, quote-tweeting, direct messages and using hashtags, which are available on Twitter are not present in Bluesky at launch. This will make the app a more streamlined version of Twitter than what it initially appeared to be.
Additionally, it’s incorporating decentralisation into its own protocol, the AT Protocol, rather than adding to the work already done on ActivityPub, the protocol powering Mastodon, an open-source Twitter alternative and a variety of other decentralised apps in the larger “Fediverse”, the term for these connected servers hosting free, open-source web publishing software, as per the outlet.
The demand for the application has been growing and has 20,000 active users currently.
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