{"id":77842,"date":"2017-09-12T06:00:23","date_gmt":"2017-09-12T13:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/securingtomorrow.mcafee.com\/?p=77842"},"modified":"2025-08-31T19:47:53","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T02:47:53","slug":"mobile-ddos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/mobile-ddos\/","title":{"rendered":"The Do You Knows of DDoS Attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhere\u2019s my phone?\u201d<\/p>\n

In a blink of an eye, my home is suddenly flipped upside down\u2014couch cushions overturned, drawers – askew and papers shuffled. After a few repeating buzzes I realize that it\u2019s right under my nose. Relief floods my body. How could I last a day without my phone?<\/p>\n

With the rise of social media, addictive games, and on-demand apps, our mobile devices have become an inextricable part of us, like an additional limb. But, while these devices provide great conveniences, they also can bring major headaches in the form of malware. Which is exactly what happened when a malicious app was used on the Android OS to conduct a denial-of-service attacks (DDoS) attack, called WireX.<\/p>\n

DDoS attacks<\/a> have been making headlines since the late 90\u2019s, but most consumers wouldn\u2019t even notice if their device was taking part of an attack. The WireX botnet (a collection of internet-connected devices) is one of the first and biggest Android DDoS attacks, which is a cause for concern for all mobile device owners, due to its ability to infiltrate the device you depend on so much.\u00a0 So how did the attack happen and what can you do to protect yourself?<\/p>\n

The botnet was hidden behind some 300 apps that were made available in the official Google Play Store. When users installed the app, WireX conscripted the devices into a network, which then sent junk traffic to websites, in the hopes of bringing them down, like any other DDoS attack. So what makes this attack such a big deal?<\/p>\n

Researchers saw 130k to 160k unique addresses involved in the attack, across the globe and it was so well hidden, it was hard for companies to defend against the attacks. Luckily, a group of companies were able to take down the botnet, allowing Google to remove the malicious apps from the marketplace and the infected devices.<\/p>\n

Tips to Protect Yourself Against Attacks<\/h2>\n

So, what can you do to win the battle against attacks?\u00a0 Follow these tips:<\/p>\n