Don’t Download These Fake Coronavirus Tracking Apps for Android
It is easy to cheat now while we are all in a panic. All it takes is one person who has a little free time to create a “coronavirus dashboard” that asks unsuspecting users to install an app on their computer, and boom – you get sucked into installing malware on your system. when you thought you were actually downloading a program that would help you better understand what’s going on there.
We’re now seeing coronavirus tracking apps emerge for Android – and probably iOS too, but the consequences are likely more to do with phishing than infiltration. In one example, apps lure users by promising to provide them with a coronavirus “map” that supposedly shows the number of confirmed cases in a person’s area, in addition to various counters showing how far COVID-19 has come. Heck, you even have a heatmap – like a 1990s movie about them.
As DomainTools describes:
In fact, the application is infected with ransomware. This Android ransomware application, previously unseen in the world, has been dubbed “CovidLock” because of the malware’s capabilities and history. CovidLock uses techniques to deny the victim access to their phone by forcibly changing the password used to unlock the phone. This is also known as a lock screen attack and has been previously reported on Android ransomware.
The ransomware asks for $ 100 in Bitcoin within 48 hours, demanding a ransom. It threatens to erase your contacts, pictures and videos, as well as your phone’s memory. He even claims that he will publicly leak your social media accounts.
If you’ve come across this app, DomainTools has redesigned the decryption key you’ll need to unlock Android again. I recommend uninstalling this app as soon as possible and possibly installing an antivirus or malware protection app to make sure nothing else is on your device.
If you need information, try the robust Johns Hopkins University dashboard . Try not to worry about whether your neighbor has a coronavirus or an app that can track all sick people around you. (No.) Don’t download apps from anywhere other than the Google Play Store, and even so, seriously consider whether you need an app for what you’re going to get.
If anything, the fact that we’re all mostly quarantined in our homes right now is a great excuse for the digital break. Don’t check the stock market. Don’t check the hourly news scan. Be free of your smartphone (as you can’t make plans with anyone) and avoid having to check your apps. Enjoy the Zen-like state that we have suffered from this half-enforced loss of all our social escapes. And stop downloading unpublished apps to your Android device unless absolutely necessary.