Technological advancements will naturally lead to a back and forth between software developers and cybercriminals. As a majority of apps and devices become more necessary and sophisticated, the means of breaking into their software and hardware also need to keep up. This is why the development of new forms of digital threats is inevitable.

As people are becoming entirely reliant on their smartphones, it’s almost impossible to imagine life without them. Besides the standard function of calling and texting others, it can also perform numerous functions previously associated with bulky laptops. However, these mobile devices don’t always have the highest degrees of protection against digital threats.

What Does FluBot Do?

FluBot is a modern form of malware that can easily be installed on your Android device through a malicious link. This is hidden through an SMS message which the user opens, leading to a chain of similar messages to people on the person’s contact list to potentially put others individuals at risk. This is because the malware can harvest your contact list to spread to other devices. Besides its infection capacity, it can also access your personal information, banking details, and other private data.

Thankfully, FluBot doesn’t affect all Operating Systems for smartphones. It works strictly on Android phones and other variants because devices with this OS typically allow side-loading of apps beyond the apps store. This means the more restrictive iPhone OS is potentially immune to FluBot’s current iteration.

Where Did FluBot Come from?

FluBot hit Europe early this year and continues to spread at a massive scale. In one way or another, the chain of infections began being spammed to Australia this past month. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission reported that its Scamwatch service received over 3,700 reports of this complication.

Although most popular antivirus options can detect FluBot, it’s important to note that clicking the link and downloading the software from an infected SMS is its trigger. For this reason, you should avoid clicking on any suspicious links in messages, even if they came from people you know.

While some anti-virus solutions can clean and remove the malware from your phone, you should still take precautionary measures. This includes cleaning your phone’s apps and changing your passwords for every account linked to your device.

What to Do If FluBot Infects Your Device?

You won’t be entirely sure if your personal data is being accessed. Additionally, you also can’t track which SMS messages you’ve sent to infect others. Most users report seeing a new app labeled as “Voicemail” with a blue cassette and yellow envelope. They are then restricted from uninstalling it, and the person is unable to send messages to other numbers.

If your phone is infected, you’re advised to remove the malware and immediately reset all your current passwords using another device. Telstra may flag your devices as sending high volumes of messages to warn you if you have the FluBot malware.

The spread of FluBot is just one of many digital threats that are bound to pop up in the next few years. With businesses prioritising digital platforms, it’s more likely that consumers and brands will engage through desktops and laptops. For this reason, phones can become an easy target to infiltrate and extract private information.

You can subscribe to a brand protection company to help protect your devices from these ever-growing threats. Contact our brand protection expers, and we’ll give you the right security reinforcement against these malware threats and more.