Cyber criminals turning gaze towards mobile phonesas surge in usage during lockdown

The country's national cyber security agency has cautioned againstthreats to personal mobile phones from "spyware and ransomware" due to an increased usage of these Internet-enabled devices in the wake of restrictions on physical movement to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In), the federal agency to combat cyber attacks to guard the Indian cyber space, has issued a freshadvisory with over a dozen suggestions to keep personal mobile phones healthy and secure.

"The current global health situation has seen changes to the way people accomplish their regular job, with an increasing number working from home instead of office. Cyber criminals are attempting to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic and are now turning their attention to mobile devices to spread malware, including spyware and ransomware," the agency said.

Mobile devices and apps (applications) must be appropriately secured to prevent sensitive data from being lost or compromised, to reduce the risk of spreading viruses, and to mitigate other forms of abuse.

A spyware steals sensitive personal data of a user while a ransomware takes control over login and other vital credentials of an individual and only releases them after money is paid to it through dubious online transactions.

The agency suggested certain counter-measures and healthy practices:
OS and apps update
Installing Apps
Phishing scams:
Passwords
Wi-Fi networks