It has been announced by the central government that 'Daam' malware is infecting Android devices, and the government has issued an advisory regarding the same. CERT-IN, the national cyber security agency of the Indian government, released an advisory informing the public about the possibility of hackers hacking your calls, contacts, history, and camera due to this virus.
The virus' ability to bypass anti-virus programs and deploy ransomware on targeted devices makes it very dangerous, according to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team or CERT-In, which provided the information.
As quoted by the PTI news agency, the Android botnet is distributed primarily through third-party websites or apps downloaded from untrusted or unknown sources, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The malware is coded to operate on the victim's device using an encryption algorithm known as AES (advanced encryption standard). The advisory reports that the other files are then removed from local storage, leaving only the files that have the extension of ".enc" and a readme file, "readme_now.txt", that contain the ransom note.
To prevent attacks by such viruses and malware, the central agency has suggested several do's and don'ts.
The CERT-IN recommends that you avoid browsing "untrusted websites" or clicking "untrusted links" when they do not seem trustworthy. It is advisable to exercise caution when clicking on links contained within unsolicited emails and SMS messages, the organization stated. Specifically, the report recommends updating your anti-virus and anti-spyware software regularly and keeping it up to date.
Once the malware has been installed, it tries to bypass the device's security system. In the case it succeeds in stealing sensitive data, as well as permissions to read history and bookmarks, kill background processing, and read call logs, it will attempt to steal sensitive information of the user.
"Daam" is also capable of hacking phone calls, contacts, images, and videos on the camera, changing passwords on the device, taking screenshots, stealing text messages, downloading and uploading files, etc.
In the Sender Information field of a genuine SMS message received from a bank, the Sender ID (abbreviation of the bank) is typically mentioned instead of the phone number, according to the report.
A cautionary note was provided to users warning them to be aware of shortcut URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) such as the websites 'bitly' and 'tinyurl', which are both URLs pointing to web addresses such as "http://bit.ly/" "nbit.ly" and "tinyurl.com" "/".
To see the full domain of the website the user is visiting, it is recommended that they hover over the shortened URL displayed. As suggested in the consultation, they may also be able to use a URL checker that allows them to enter both a shortened URL and the complete URL when completing the check.
This is being viewed as a serious warning by the government to Android phone users throughout the world to remain vigilant and to take all necessary precautions to protect their mobile devices.
The Central Government strives to educate citizens about "Daam" malware, as well as its potential impacts, so citizens can take proactive measures to protect their Android devices and stay safe from cyber threats in the ever-evolving environment we live in today.