These platforms also let IT vet apps, preventing unsafe apps from being installed in the first place. In their basic forms, MDM and UEM platforms ensure that all phones on the network have updated operating systems and apps. Additionally, organizations should have a mobile device management (MDM) or unified endpoint management (UEM) platform running and ensure that devices being used to access work resources are managed by them. How can organizations protect themselves?Īs a start, organizations should ensure that any mobile devices used by employees for work have appropriate endpoint security agents installed. In both cases, the apps can come from illegitimate sources that won’t benefit from the same vetting process as those hosted on official app stores. Others even jailbreak their phones in order to download paid apps for free. So where do fake apps come from? Many people follow links in emails that invite them to download an app from a website. The official Google and Apple app stores have stringent standards and vetting processes for apps that they host, so these are much more likely to be safe. Once the operating system is updated, it’s important to get apps only from trusted sources. Any device that isn’t running the latest version of its operating system is more vulnerable to exploits used by fake apps. Symantec’s 2019 ISTR found that 78.3% of iOS devices were running the newest iOS version, while only 23.7% of Android devices were running the newest Android versions. Interestingly, there’s a huge discrepancy between iOS and Android devices in this area. Many apps are able to take advantage of vulnerabilities in the mobile operating system itself, so one of the best ways for mobile users to stay safe is to keep their operating systems updated. In the worst cases, fake apps can lead to exploitation and ransomware, where the bad guys take control of the data on the phone (or make it accessible) and force you to pay to stop them from releasing your data or locking down your phone. And it only gets worse, as some fake apps can take over functions such as the microphone or the camera, or damage the phone itself. Others are much more serious: they steal information and data, or they divert payments and revenue towards illegitimate sites. Some are relatively benign: they merely display annoying advertising, aimed at generating revenue.

Once downloaded and installed, these applications can perform a variety of malicious actions. Fake mobile apps are most often Android or iOS applications that mimic the look and/or functionality of legitimate applications, or provide legitimate functionality while hiding other malicious functionality, to trick unsuspecting users into installing them.

Fake app names