With the popularity of smartphones, mobile apps have become an indispensable part of people's lives. However, behind the convenience, there are also countless cyber security risks.
Recently, some criminals have taken advantage of people's dependence on popular apps to produce and release a large number of high-quality imitation apps for fraudulent activities, seriously violating user privacy. Industry insiders said that this has become a major blind spot in mobile phone network security.
What is a high-imitation APP?
High imitation APP refers to copycat software that highly imitates well-known APP in appearance and function. These APP icons and interface styles are almost exactly the same as the genuine version, and they will even be named "international version" and "preferential version", making users mistakenly think that they are another version of the APP. However, in fact, none of these apps have been officially certified, and most of them have security risks such as privacy theft and virus transmission.
According to a recent report released by the Cyberspace Administration of China, popular apps such as WeChat and Didi Chuxing have high-quality imitation versions. Among them, the WeChat high-imitation APP guides users to enter their account passwords through social engineering methods; The Didi Chuxing high-imitation APP can remotely control the user's mobile phone.
According to the analysis of industry insiders, there are two main characteristics of high-imitation APP: first, the visual effect is extremely realistic, and second, the functional module design closely follows the popular APP. This makes it easy for many users to be tricked into revealing personal information.
What are the main hazards of high-imitation APP?
Experts said that the high imitation APP mainly has the following harms:
Collection of Privacy Data
The high-imitation APP will ask for user contacts, SMS and other permissions, and collect device information, operation logs and other data, which seriously leaks user privacy. According to reports, nearly 60% of high-imitation apps steal users' mobile phone contacts.
Committing money scams
Some high-imitation apps are actually fraudulent platforms, which will require users to pay fake service fees, make fake investments, etc. In the first half of 2022 alone, dozens of high-imitation APP fraud cases were exposed.
Programs that spread viruses
Some high-imitation apps will install Trojan viruses in the background to obtain root access to the device, so as to control the phone, steal traffic or send spam text messages. According to data, nearly 30% of high-imitation APPs have malicious installation functions.
Traffic flashing rent-seeking
There are also some high-imitation APPs that will constantly open web pages, download applications, or automatically click on advertising traffic to achieve the purpose of brushing and making profits. This can consume a lot of data on your mobile phone.
Push bad information
Relevant departments have investigated and dealt with a number of cases of disseminating gambling, pornography and other content through high-imitation apps. This puts minors at greater risk to safety.
It is understood that last year, nearly 20,000 high-imitation APPs were seized in the mainland, involving e-commerce, finance, social networking and other fields. Experts predict that high-imitation APP will be the new hot spot of mobile phone network fraud.
What are the routines of high-imitation APP?
In view of the rampant situation of high-imitation APP, experts have summarized its common routines:
Create beautiful interfaces
The high-imitation APP will hire a professional design team to develop an interface and icons that are consistent with the genuine APP, in a vain attempt to confuse users.
Fake login exceptions
When guiding users to enter their account passwords, various prompts will be used to trick users into logging in and encountering "exceptions".
Fictitious version of the event
Some high-imitation apps will be named "international version" and "value version" to make users think that they are special versions of genuine apps.
Scatter download links
High-imitation apps are rarely released in regular app stores, and download links are mainly distributed through forums, advertisements and other channels.
Asking for too many permissions
These apps will claim in their privacy policies that they need permissions such as Contacts and SMS to provide services for the purpose of collecting users' private data.
How to identify and prevent high-imitation apps
In the face of the endless emergence of high-imitation apps, how should users identify and prevent it? Experts give the following advice:
Only download the APP from official channels, and do not easily search and download it on the Internet. Compare app icons, interface elements, and identify subtle differences in copycat apps. Check the name of the app developer to see if it is a genuine app developer. Read user reviews to see what other users have to say.
Pay attention to the application for privacy permission, and do not easily give permissions such as contacts and photos. Be vigilant and do not log in to your account or make online payments within the app. Regularly update your system and security software to improve system security. In case of suspicion, contact customer service to verify the authenticity of the APP, or call the Internet fraud alarm number for inquiry.
In addition, users should carefully assess the risks of each non-essential app and avoid installing apps from unknown sources. Be highly vigilant against any app that asks for too many permissions. At the same time, government departments should also strengthen the supervision of high-imitation APPs and crack down on illegal acts that undermine user information security.
On the whole, high-imitation apps have posed a great threat to national information security. Users need to raise awareness and beware of personal information leakage; Relevant departments should also take effective measures to completely eliminate these hidden dangers. Only by the joint efforts of the government and society can we weave a tight information security protection network, so that the people can use it with peace of mind.
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