Increasingly misleading fake apps: a growing concern

Cybercriminals are employing increasingly sophisticated tactics to target unsuspecting users. One of them is smishing, an attack that uses seemingly legitimate SMS messages to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information (connection credentials, financial data, etc.) or downloading malicious content. . To do this, hackers create false applications that imitate banking and administrative financial services, etc. These false applications are unsuspected because they reproduce official applications identically (or almost).

Understanding smishing: how does it work?
Smishing generally involves sending text messages pretending to be a trustworthy company or institution. These messages often contain tempting offers or are urgent in nature. For example, suspicious activity on a bank account that prompts you to click on a link to resolve the problem. A security solutions provider recently highlighted the following “smishing”: “Dear CITI cardholder, your order for 8200 loyalty points has been successfully validated. Please visit www.insbb.in CITI today BANK -HARSHELECTRONIC.”
By clicking on the link, users were redirected to a fraudulent site, prompting them to download an app to complete the transaction. Once the app loaded, the user was required to enter their payment information, including their card number, expiration date, CCV and personal details.

The consequences of smishing for victims
Falling for a smishing scam can have serious repercussions. By clicking on a link or providing information in response to a fake text message, targeted people allow cybercriminals to access sensitive data, as shown in the example above. This information can then be used to embezzle money, steal identities, or engage in other fraudulent activities. Additionally, victims may become targets for harassment or extortion from scammers.

Smishing threatens business resilience
Smishing attacks can target employees and also have a significant impact on businesses, including data breaches, financial losses, reputational damage, regulatory compliance issues and disruption of business operations.
,. It is important to emphasize that it is not always about the data that is on a mobile device, but the access it allows. Mobile devices used in the workplace are, in fact, prime targets for cybercriminals because they offer privileged access to employee identification information, their contacts and critical company applications or systems.
Strict compliance and regulatory requirements are such that non-compliance puts businesses at greater risk of legal penalties and sanctions. CISOs must therefore prioritize mobile security measures and invest in strong defenses to effectively detect and prevent these types of attacks.

Protect yourself and your business against smishing attacks
To protect against smishing attacks, it is essential to remain vigilant and take proactive security measures:
• Be extra careful: be wary of unsolicited text messages, especially those that ask for personal or private information or require urgent action.
• Verify the identity of the sender: Before responding to a text message, it is essential to verify the identity of the sender by contacting the company directly using a trusted phone number or by consulting its official website.
• Avoid clicking on suspicious links: It is better not to click on links in an SMS from unknown or untrustworthy sources, as they may lead to phishing sites or download malware.
• Stay informed: Keeping up to date with the latest cyber threats and tactics used by hackers is key. You must learn to recognize suspicious messages and deal with them.
• Use mobile security software: Reliable mobile security software capable of detecting and blocking smishing messages, phishing attempts and malicious links directly on devices should be considered.

Mobile has become essential today. Cybercriminals know this and are employing increasingly sophisticated tactics to exploit the widespread use of mobile devices in both private and professional settings. Employees using their smartphones for personal activities blur the lines between home and work, making it a dangerous combination for businesses. It is high time to realize this.