All Android-fanatic Entrepreneurs Beware! This Malware Can Corrupt Your Data Gooligan potentially affects devices and steal email addresses on Android 4 (Jelly Bean, KitKat) and 5 (Lollipop).

By Nidhi Singh

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Asif Islam / Shutterstock.com

If you're a budding entrepreneur, your smartphone is all you need to increase productivity in your organisation. There are number of Android apps that are designed to help entrepreneurs follow their roles easily.But Android users beware of this new malware and keep your smartphone safe.

A newly found malware "Gooligan', uses Google credentials on older versions of Android to generate fraudulent installs of other apps.Security firm Check Point software technologies discovered and reported this malware thats infecting more than 1 million Google accounts .

Gooligan potentially affects devices and steal email addresses on Android 4 (Jelly Bean, KitKat) and 5 (Lollipop). About 57% of these devices are located in Asia and about 9% are in Europe.

How does the Googlian campaign affect the Android devices ?

  • Steal a user's Google email account and authentication token information
  • Install apps from Google Play and rate them to raise their reputation
  • Install adware to generate revenue

Once the infection starts, the rooted device will download an infected app from the third party app store.On being installed by the user, it further downloads a root exploit like Towelroot to gain full access to the device. The malware copies the user's account data and sends it to a remote server, giving the malicious software full access to the account data.

What To Do ?

It is recommended that you should not download Android apps from any third party stores, apart from the official Google store.More importantly, do not tap on links that claim to download free Android application packages for apps. Also, download some reliable anti-malware app and format your android device if you feel your google account has been compromised.

Nidhi Singh

Former Correspondent, Entrepreneur Asia-Pacific

A self confessed Bollywood Lover, Travel junkie and Food Evangelist.I like travelling and I believe it is very important to take ones mind off the daily monotony .

Business News

ChatGPT Can Now Complete a Major Task That Would Take a Human Up to 30 Days. Here's How it Works.

The AI now has the capability to browse the Internet and write a research paper based on what it finds.

Science & Technology

Is AI Worth the Investment? Calculate Your Real ROI

This article explores how businesses of all sizes can leverage AI to drive efficiency, reduce costs and achieve substantial ROI.

News and Trends

Equirus Welcomes Credence Family Office in INR 100 Cr Deal to Strengthen Wealth Management Services

As part of the deal, Credence Family Office will take over Equirus Wealth's Family Office business, and the combined entity will be branded as Equirus-Credence Family Office.

Business News

This Startup Is Billionaire Reid Hoffman's Next Big Bet

Hoffman sold LinkedIn, which he co-founded, to Microsoft for $26.2 billion in 2016.

Side Hustle

His 6-Figure Side Hustle Fills a 'Glaring' Gap for Coffee Drinkers — Now It's 'Taken On a Life of Its Own'

Ryan Schneider already had one coffee-related business. Then the lightbulb went off for another.

Business News

Elon Musk Just Got an Official Title in the U.S. Government. Does It Come With a Paycheck?

Musk has an office at the White House and a new title of "Special Government Employee."