{"id":35646,"date":"2014-05-27T06:00:35","date_gmt":"2014-05-27T13:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=35646"},"modified":"2025-08-07T22:38:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T05:38:51","slug":"ransomware-goes-mobile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/ransomware-goes-mobile\/","title":{"rendered":"Ransomware Goes Mobile"},"content":{"rendered":"

The dominance of mobile devices has given hackers a growing market to chase after, with many of the same tools they\u2019ve previously used to target personal computers\u2014tools like ransomware.<\/a><\/p>\n

Ransomware is a type of malicious software that either locks you out of your device, and\/or holds your data hostage, until you pay a ransom fee. There are a few variations of ransomware\u2014from popup messages in your browser that take control of your screen to programs that encrypt your data and hold the key to decrypting it hostage\u2014but it has largely been confined to personal computers until now.<\/p>\n

A new type of mobile ransomware, named Android.Trojan.Koler.A (Koler for short), is making an unwelcomed appearance and targeting Android users. Believed to be the work of the gang responsible for the Revetol \/ Icepol Trojan<\/a>, Koler goes after mobile users viewing pornography on their Android devices. It tries to scare its victims into paying the $300 ransom by claiming the victim has viewed \u201cillegal pornography\u201d and posts a warning message from a bogus law enforcement agency (the agency in question changes depending on which country you\u2019re in).<\/p>\n

While this type of ransomware sounds scary and can certainly spread beyond its targeted demographic, there are a few things going against Koler. For one, Koler can\u2019t be found and unwittingly downloaded from an app store (and hopefully never will be), which cuts the risk factor of infection down significantly. The malicious software, or malware,<\/a> also needs to be purposefully installed by the user. That means that it has to trick a user into downloading the malware onto their device, usually done by prompting them to download a \u201cpremium video player\u201d or other extra feature. Additionally, Koler can actually be easily removed<\/a>\u2014the key is to remain calm and not fall for the ploy.<\/p>\n

Most likely, Koler in its current form probably won\u2019t be responsible for locking you out of your mobile devices. However, it will most likely serve as a prototype for more advanced mobile ransomware variations in the future. As more people come to depend on their mobile devices, more hackers will be attracted to exploit other people\u2019s property.<\/p>\n

Good Security Practices<\/h2>\n

With these risks in mind, it\u2019s important to practice good security on all of your devices\u2014no matter what sites you look at.<\/p>\n