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What you need to know
- Google is launching a pilot program in Singapore to address financial fraud issues affecting Android users.
- The new pilot specifically targets sneaky Android apps that request permissions, which are commonly exploited in phishing attacks.
- This security feature aims to prevent the installation of unsafe apps and will be gradually rolled out to Android users in the country in the coming weeks.
Google is taking a new approach to fighting financial fraud by preventing the sideloading of apps that exploit commonly abused permissions.
Google understands how easy it is for people to fall for phishing scams, even if they’re familiar with online scams. The company is currently launching a pilot program in Singapore to tackle financial fraud issues affecting Android users.
This security feature will be gradually rolled out to Android users in Singapore in the coming weeks. If the pilot goes well, we can expect a broader rollout later.
Specifically, the new pilot aims to protect users from sneaky permission-requesting Android apps that are often exploited in phishing attacks. It is responsible for checking four key permissions in real time, including reading and receiving SMS messages, accessibility services, and notification listening services. Why these? Scammers love to snoop on SMS or peek at notifications on the screen and exploit them to steal his password one time.
Google is working with Singapore’s Cyber Security Authority on a pilot that will prevent Android users in the country from downloading apps deemed unsafe. This security upgrade, part of Google Play Protect, prevents the installation of unreliable sideloaded apps, such as those from places like messaging apps and file managers.
Google notes that cybercriminals love using social engineering tricks to quickly attack mobile users. These lure people into turning off security, ignoring warnings, downloading sideloaded apps, divulging personal information, and sending money directly into scammers’ pockets.
Google noted that since its launch last October, Google Play Protect’s real-time scan has caught more than 515,000 suspicious apps and issued 3.1 million warnings or blocks.
Eugene Leiderman, Google’s director of Android security strategy, said the company will closely monitor how the pilot performs. If you need tweaks to strengthen your security tools, Google is ready to help.
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