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New Malware Records Data From Cell Phones
Indiana University researchers have developed Soundminer, a smartphone Trojan Horse virus that can record and steal conversations, keypad sounds, credit card numbers, and bank account information. The researchers developed the virus with the goal of improving security for Android-based smartphones.
"We're in the business of building secure systems," says Indiana professor Apu Kapadia. "We want to live in a more secure world, but part of that job is also trying to be one step ahead of the bad people."
The researchers developed Soundminer by tracking trends in smartphone usage and researching commonly known threats. "If you can show that there's some security flaws in Android and those can be fixed, that will actually benefit a large number of people," says City University in Hong Kong visiting researcher Roman Schlegel.
Since smartphones are just like small computers, protecting them from malware is mainly about remaining aware of new viruses and new defense strategies, says Indiana's Scott Wilson.
From Indiana Daily Student
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