Warning to UAE Snapchat Users over Hacks and Privacy
Security experts in the UAE recently alerted that Snapchat has a few safety and privacy concerns about which users in this region should be aware of. Widely used by children and teenagers (8 to 19 years) in the UAE, experts believe that Snapchat’s new Snap Map feature can reveal users’ location if they opt-in for this feature. This feature shows where a user is at every time the user logs into Snapchat.
Faketoken Alert: Malware Steals Bank Details from Android Apps
A new variant of the mobile banking Trojan Faketoken is stealing sensitive account related information from common Android apps used for travel and banking. The Kaspersky Lab uncovered this deceiving Trojan, which is a threat to anyone storing credit information for in-app purchases. There have been reports of the virus attacking and infecting popular apps such as Android Pay, and other ones used for travel and hotel booking, and making traffic fine payments. The virus can manipulate around 2,000 apps.
Is your Family being Spied on as your Child Plays Games Online?
A recent lawsuit in USA claims that Viacom and Disney are collecting data such as location, browsing history through their online game for children, for advertising and other commercial purposes. The apps in question are embedded with trackers which can access geographical information, browsing history, and third party information, this data is then sold on. Children in the UAE play most of these games unaware of their possible risks.
Trend Alert: Sexual Harassment and Blackmail of Girls on Whatsapp Messenger and Snapchat
Two incidents of online harassment of girls this month have brought the focus back on the urgent issue of online harassment and blackmailing in UAE. Most of these reports show that girls are more common targets of online harassment and blackmailing compared to boys.
Enjoy your Free WiFi Hotspot, but with Caution!
The Dubai police recently warned people that cyber criminals can use public WiFi networks to steal people’s personal information, including bank account details, pictures, and passwords. While free WiFi networks can be dangerous, you will be surprised to know that a majority of the people in the UAE said they “wouldn’t think twice” before logging on to a public WiFi network, according to the 2017 Norton Wi-Fi Risk Report. Even more shockingly, 87% of these people agreed to potentially putting their personal information at risk while using public WiFi.