Android Virus Alert: SW.SecurePhone and SW.Qieting Bugs Spotted

Start checking your phones for strange charges.

Feb 25 2011, 10:30am CST | by Robert Evans

Android Virus Alert: SW.SecurePhone and SW.Qieting Bugs Spotted

Android users, be aware. Two malicious viruses have been spotted running rampant around phones who downloaded apps from the wrong side of the App Market. Security experts NetQin Mobile spotted the bugs and are attempting to warn users before they can spread further. Both viruses expose users to substantial privacy leaks.

The SW.SecurePhone bug runs in the background. It doesn't display any icons or give you any other warning of its presence. But it is there, constantly monitoring your phone use and data use and saving your history to the SD card. Every few minutes, your data is uploaded to a remote server. This is a massive privacy compromise and could allow hackers access to your most intimate financial details.

The SW.SecurePhone bug appears to spread primarily through Internet downloads in the United States.

Next, we've got the SW.Qieting bug. This nasty little number auto-forwards all messages received to a "monitoring phone". It does not notify you of this, and there is no icon or installation warning.

In order to avoid both of these pieces of Nastiness, be extremely careful about what apps you download from the Android market. Read the user reviews thoroughly if you do not know the developer of the app. Look at what portions of your phone it asks you to hand over control of. Monitor your bill for any extra charges. As nasty as it sounds, you may also want to look into downloading AntiVirus software for your smartphone.

NetQin and AVG both offer Android Antivirus suites that concerned users may find worth looking into. You can find either in the Android Market.

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Robert Evans
The excitement about new smartphones, tablets and anything mobile drive Robert to unearth the latest rumors and developments in this fast moving space. He adopted 4G as soon as it become available and knows where the mobile market is going.
Robert can be contacted directly at robert@i4u.com.