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Mobile Security Experts Warn of Olympic-related Malware, Malicious WiFi at Airports, Subways, Hotels, and Shopping Destinations

Palo Alto, Calif. – August 4, 2016 – Skycure, the leader in mobile threat defense, today issued a mobile security advisory for travelers visiting Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games which begin this week. Skycure has detected numerous security incidents on multiple WiFi networks that tourists might encounter, including the networks of one of Rio’s most popular shopping malls, well-known coffee shop and hotel brands, as well as Rio Galeão Airport, the primary airport for travelers into Rio de Janeiro. In addition, Skycure researchers uncovered multiple incidents of malicious apps masquerading as legitimate Olympics mobile apps, including repackaged version of the official “Rio 2016” Olympics mobile app.

“The Summer Olympics in Rio is not just the race for gold, it’s also a race for cyber criminals to steal your personal information,” said Yair Amit, co-founder and CTO of Skycure. “The international gathering for the games is a shiny object for hackers who are looking to tap into the vast mobile transactions and sensitive data flowing within the sea of fans and athletes. We expect a global event of this magnitude to attract a new wave of sophisticated device-level and network-based attacks.”

Riskiest Free WiFi Spots in Rio

Travelers often connect to any free WiFi network as soon as they touch down in a new city, looking for quick access to email, maps, hotel information, and events. While these networks are convenient and the price is right, the risk of data exposure is high. In a previous report, Skycure discovered that eight percent of the total reported threats at tourist destinations around the world originated from a WiFi with “Free” in its name. Skycure researchers found a number of risky WiFi networks in the Rio de Janeiro area, including the following that travelers should be aware of:

• Rio Galeão Airport is full of SSL decrypting WiFi networks that can compromise users’ personal and corporate data to prying eyes. In addition, a network named _RIO GALEAO WIFI was detected 12 miles away from the airport. This is possibly a rogue access point configured to take advantage of mobile users that connected to the Galeão WiFi at the airport.
• Rio Sul–Visitors to the popular shopping mall will encounter multiple risky WiFi networks, including the Starbucks WiFi located in the shopping center.
• A potentially fake hotspot named “Sheraton-GuestRoom” was detected at the Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel.
• It is not just about destinations. Even while traveling on the Rio Metro, travelers have been exposed to an SSL Decryption attack.
• In addition to the above locations, multiple risky/fake networks within the city were detected such as Linktel WiFi and Oi WiFi.

Olympic Malware

Olympics fans should also beware of malicious apps masquerading as legitimate Olympics mobile apps. Skycure discovered multiple incidents of malware with names related to the Rio games. A malicious app, named “Rio 2016” was found to be a repackaged version of the official Olympics app which included adware. Other examples of discovered risky apps included names like “Olympics Rio 2016” and “Rio 2016 Olympics”.

All the above malware was available for download at third-party Android app store, Aptoide. In Skycure’s most recent Mobile Threat Intelligence Report, the company reported that mobile users are 72 times more likely to find malware at the Aptoide store versus the official Google Play store.

How Travelers Can Protect Themselves

Skycure offered the following tips for travelers:

1. Avoid connecting to WiFi networks with the word “Free” in it’s name
2. Always check the name of the WiFi network your device is connected to and disconnect if the network is out of context, eg. If you are not at the airport, do not connect to Rio Galeao Wifi. Mobile devices automatically join “known” WiFi networks without any user intervention.
3. Check for top mobile threats in any destination by visiting https://maps.skycure.com
4. Only download mobile apps from reputable app stores such as the Google Play store and Apple’s App Store.
5. Read the warnings on your device and don’t click “Continue” if you don’t understand the exposure.
6. Update your device to the most current operating system.
7. Disconnect from the network if your phone behaves strangely (e.g. frequent crashes) or you receive a warning notification.
8. Protect your device with a free mobile security app like Skycure.

For more information, see the blog post at: https://www.skycure.com/blog/hackers-seek-gold-rio-olympic-games

Skycure detects and alerts you on malware, network attacks, and vulnerability exploits. To download Skycure, go to: apps.skycure.com on your iOS or Android device, or go to the App Store or Google Play store and search for “Skycure”.

For details and to learn more about how Skycure Mobile Threat Defense protects organizations and prevents cyber attacks without compromising the mobile user experience or privacy, visit www.skycure.com.

About Skycure

Skycure is the leader in mobile threat defense. Skycure’s platform offers unparalleled depth of threat intelligence to predict, detect and protect against the broadest range of existing and unknown threats. Skycure’s predictive technology uses a layered approach that leverages massive crowd-sourced threat intelligence, in addition to both device- and server-based analysis, to proactively protect mobile devices from malware, network threats, and app/OS vulnerability exploits. Skycure Research Labs have identified some of the most-discussed mobile device vulnerabilities of the past few years, including Accessibility Clickjacking, No iOS Zone, Malicious Profiles, Invisible Malicious Profiles, WifiGate and LinkedOut. The company is backed by Foundation Capital, Shasta Ventures, Pitango Venture Capital, New York Life, Mike Weider, Peter McKay, Lane Bess, and other strategic investors.

Contact:

Chris Fucanan
AquaLab PR for Skycure
press@skycure.com
916-684-9781