Robert Siciliano of McAfee warns holiday shoppers about seasonal scams. Mobile malware targets Android users, QR codes can hide malicious links, and fake coupons flood the web during Cyber Monday. Siciliano also discusses scareware and McAfee All Access protection.
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6:41 right now on this Cyber Monday. Many retailers offering special deals online today. This year, more than half of US consumers who own a smartphone say they'll be using that device for holiday shopping-related activities.
I know those ads are trying to pull me in right now, but before you log on, a word of caution: malware targeting mobile devices are on the rise. Time now for a little Smartphone Zone with Lauren DeMarco. She's Live in the NetCenter with more. Hi, Lauren.
Hey, you guys. Well, yeah, McAfee is out with its top 12 scams of Christmas. And this morning with us here is Robert Siciliano with McAfee. Good morning to you.
Good morning.
So, number 1 on the list is mobile malware. Perfect here for our Smartphone Zone and definitely something to be aware of today. My first question is, mobile malware, if this somehow gets onto your phone, criminals get to you. What happens to your phone? What are you at risk of?
Well, it's just like a desktop. Malware, spyware allows the bad guy to remotely access and remotely control that device. So just like you have your mobile in your hand, they can actually make use of it and they can install spyware to get your usernames, passwords, and the websites you visit.
And you think possibly Androids are more at risk than other phones?
Androids are definitely more at risk. The software is open source, which means that anybody can create code and they are creating viruses viruses that install on your Android, and it's very vulnerable to malware.
That doesn't mean that Apple products are not vulnerable, but Android, you need to be even more careful.
Yeah, all digital devices are vulnerable at some level. Androids more so.
Gotcha. And then the other thing is QR codes. You guys see these everywhere at home. They're on products these days. They're in magazines, on ads, and these can be dangerous.
Yeah, quick response codes are just like any other digital link that goes somewhere. Now they're creating them with a link that downloads malware or a virus. The idea behind them is to bridge the gap between print and virtual media, but bad guys are putting stickers right, you know, on display cases that you scan and get a virus.
Gosh, so how do you know? I guess you need to have some sort of—
You need to have mobile— McAfee Mobile Security is designed to protect you from just that.
Okay. Okay, we can't go through all 12 things. Clearly, we're going to put them online, but a few that I also want to mention: scareware. Can you explain what scareware is?
Well, scareware is just what it sounds like. It's scary software that when you click a link on your browser, generally on a desktop, it sends up a pop-up that looks like it's antivirus of some sort designed to protect you, but in fact, if you download it, it's going to infect your PC that much more.
Alright, and another one is just the online coupons because today a lot of folks are going to be shopping online on Cyber Monday. So what do we need to watch out for with the online coupons?
There's all kinds of scams out there. You might see a coupon on a website, on Facebook, or via an email. You click on that coupon, it might bring you to a particular website. The idea is to download your information. They want your usernames, your passwords. They may try to send you spam, but ultimately it's malware. The idea is to turn your data into cash.
Alright, so we want to look for some virus protection software. McAfee can do that for you.
Yeah, McAfee All Access is designed to protect all your digital devices, you know, laptops, desktops, netbooks, notebooks, you know, iOS, Macs. You know, the idea is to have one comprehensive software to protect all your digital devices.
And also, Robert, you have a book out that we want to talk about real quick.
Yeah, The 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen. You know, it's 99 tips to protect your identity, you know, whether in the physical or the virtual world.
Alright, well check that all out on myfoxdc.com. Just look on the mornings page for the Smartphone Zone. Robert, thank you so much. Happy holidays to you.
