back to article Kaspersky warns of imposter mobile security apps

Security firm Kaspersky Lab is warning users following the discovery of a set of mobile malware apps that impersonate its products. The firm said that unknown malware writers have been crafting applications that bill themselves as being Kaspersky products but instead infect devices or simply fail to do much of anything once …

COMMENTS

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  1. Flip
    Joke

    Hmmm

    "...infect devices or simply fail to do much of anything once purchased and installed."

    Hard to tell from the real thing.

    1. bazza Silver badge

      Re: Hmmm

      Seems you have attracted a delusional down voter.

      Hadn't they seen the stories about how Android AV software is powerless (thanks to Google's design) to actually do anything about any malware it finds?

      http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/12/17/android_anti_malware/

      1. Pookietoo
        Meh

        Re: Hmmm

        Notifying the user that he has a problem isn't really "powerless", is it? Because the user can then try to remove the malware, which leaves him better off than when he didn't know he had a problem.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Hmmm

      Whatever the Windows Phone app was, it wasn't malware. The Windows Phone store still has a proper testing and code inspection phase before releasing apps - unlike with Android....

      1. John Tserkezis

        Re: Hmmm

        "Whatever the Windows Phone app was, it wasn't malware. The Windows Phone store still has a proper testing and code inspection phase before releasing apps - unlike with Android...."

        Fat lot of useful that proved.

      2. DaLo

        Re: Hmmm

        ..."a proper testing and code inspection phase..."

        And yet they were unable to spot something as obvious as a product from a well known vendor not being able to do anything at all and not even being submitted by said vendor.

        Unusable definition of 'proper' testing!

  2. Brent Longborough
    Headmaster

    No thayt's extremely naughty and careless

    As I've told you before, imposter is not a word. You are probably searching for impostor.

    Now, go and write out 'Impostor is a word which does not contain the letter "e".' five hundred times, without using a word processor.

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
      Headmaster

      Re: No thayt's extremely naughty and careless

      Wot's "thayt's" mean?

    2. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      Never underestimate the contents of /usr/share/dict/british-english-insane

      An imposter is someone who determines customs duties on imports. Brent gets a point for 'thayt', which is so obscure that even british-english-insane does not have it. Perhaps he had difficulty typing þæt.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    Fake apps...

    fapps ?

  4. Slx

    The various App store owners need to crack down on abuse of other companies' names and trademarks. I've seen loads of apps that 'borrow' other people's logos and use names that are far too similar / familiar.

    I know software patenting can go way too far, but I think just misleading customers like that by using a name and logo that's designed to mimic someone else is really unfair.

    1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
      Paris Hilton

      Groping in the dark, my marks they will not heal!

      If only there were something like a "trademark" and also a way to sign apps using something like a "secret key"....

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      The various App store owners need to provide quality applications and not act as legal guardians of other peoples property.

      Do you have any idea about how many trademarks/logos etc there are out there? They all have different rules of use ranging from "use if you want to" to "we will own your first-born".

      It has always been the trademark/logo owners who have the responsibility of protecting their property and it sometimes takes a court case to resolve issues such as one logo being too similar to another.

      What should exist is a mechanism for companies to inform the App Stores that an infringing product is in their store and should be removed. You could call this mechanism a take down request and back it up with European and US law.

    3. jonathanb Silver badge

      Trademarks are not the same thing as copyrights or patents. I have absolutely no problem with trademarks.

  5. Mephistro
    Holmes

    Today's Capitan Obvious comment:

    If an an app store accepts an app called Kaspersky*** that wasn't made by Kaspersky, we can safely conclude that said store's filtering & approval process is shit.

    My next phone will probably use a Firefox OS . Or at least Cyanogenmod + a permissions control app.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Today's Capitan Obvious comment:

      Or you could conclude that the app store isn't privy to any contract between Kaspersky and the third party app provider. It isn't unusual for one company to hire another company to provide an app in their name.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Today's Capitan Obvious comment:

      It's not for App Stores to decide who has the rights to use a particular name. They just respond to take down requests as is appropriate.

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