As Android is confirmed by comScore as the most prevalent smart phone operating system (OS), it is increasingly the target of attacks.
To address this, Sophos has significantly updated its free Android security app, Sophos Mobile Security. The application now includes spam filter capabilities for text messages and calls which can block specific phone numbers and calls with a hidden caller ID, as well as text messages with potential malicious URLs.
Sophos said that every incoming call or text message is scanned by the application’s Spam Protection feature and the active filter rules are applied successively. Blocked calls and text messages are logged in the Quarantine folder, where they can be restored as needed.
"People trust their personal devices, but security requires vigilance," said Chris Hazelton, research director, Mobile and Wireless for 451 Research. "Gone are the days when hackers merely distributed malware via app stores; these days, consumers are seeing growth in text spam and malicious URLs sent directly to their phones. And this growth makes mobile security offerings that filter out the noise of unwanted messages all the more important, especially as smartphones are increasingly the primary device for everyday use."
"Even with legal crackdown on mobile spammers, SMS spam and SMiShing (phishing via SMS) continue to grow at a rapid pace, as there are billions of mobile phone subscribers who use text messaging. And more spam means greater annoyance and risk to consumers, as many people trust messages that come directly to their phones or don’t necessarily think about what links they’re actually clicking," said Thomas Lippert, product management, Sophos. "The latest version of Sophos Mobile Security allows users to easily prevent the onset of SMiShing."
Sophos Mobile Security is free in its stand-alone version at Google Play. It also integrates into the company’s mobile device management and security solution, Sophos Mobile Control, providing full administrator management and compliance enforcement.
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