One can’t emphasize enough that the best protection against hacked websites is a smart URL filter with an ability to recognize web-page content and malware threats in real-time.
Recently the malware “industry” was caught experimenting. All it takes is a tiny code set to zero and a teeny tiny bit of code called from a remote server to test the user agent of the browser. Since Android is over 50% of the smartphone market and draws the most malware target practice, more than half of the time this kind of exploit will work – unchecked.
Such an attack is easy, the tiny code simply checks the browser user agent string and processes a script on a remote server if a smartphone browser identifies itself as an Android.
If it’s an Android, the malware immediately attempts to access a remote page that triggers a download – all other mobile and PC based browsers do nothing or serve a blank page, but since the server returns an Android app the Android browser automatically downloads and installs it.
How do you help your customers protect your organization?
The easiest way is with an OEM solution and a partnership with NetSTAR using inCompass®. Your solution can then provide a set of malware categories, which allows your solution to automatically blocks access. Setting a zero-sized code is only one way malware is distributed, but the malware play always relies on access to a URL or IP, and that’s why active URL categorization and reputation reporting is so valuable. After all, a smartphone or tablet isn’t able to support a full AV suite, and cybercrime is more about obfuscation and misdirection. So solutions that rely on active URL processing are critical to mobile security and online safety.