Tag Archives: Google

Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Windows 11 Is Now Able To Run Some Android Apps

Recently, Microsoft announced that they were adding support for Android Apps to Windows 11.  The company first began testing that new functionality back in October of last year (2021).

Now, the public preview has been unveiled in the US, allowing users to run some Android apps acquired from the Amazon store right from their Windows 11 desktop.

For the most part, the apps available from the Amazon store are games designed for children but there are a few productivity apps also available.

If you want to venture beyond the Amazon App store, several developers and power users have already created ways of installing apps from the Google Play Store. That is along with various methods to sideload apps in Windows 11 which greatly extends and expands the App functionality.

If you’re already running Windows 11 you can start taking advantage of the new capabilities today although you will need to first launch your Microsoft Store app.

Once you do, go to “Library” and “Get Updates.”

This will download and install the latest version of the Microsoft Store App. Once that’s done, you’ll be able to install the Amazon Store app which is the trigger to also install the Windows Subsystem for Android.

This isn’t the only new Windows 11 feature available today.  If you’re an early adopter you’ll also be able to play around with the newly redesigned Windows Media player and get a first look at the re-vamped Notepad application.

Microsoft had this to say about their most recent update:

“As today’s release shows, we’re committed to delivering experiences into Windows 11 that enrich and inspire people’s lives. Over time, you’ll see us release new features into Windows 11 for end users more frequently in addition to our annual update.

We will leverage the variety of update mechanisms we have in place including servicing and Microsoft Store updates. Our goal is to deliver continuous innovation, providing you with the best experiences year-round.”

These are exciting changes indeed.  Grab the latest and start experimenting today!

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Medusa Android Banking Trojan Steals Sensitive User Information

There are two new forms of malware spreading rapidly among people with Android devices according to researchers at ThreatFabric. This latest campaign involves the FluBot malware (also known as Cabassous) and the Android banking trojan called Medusa.  What’s disturbing about this most recent spate of attacks is that both forms of malware share the same basic infection tactics and delivery infrastructure.

FluBot is one of the most notorious strains of Android malware and can steal passwords, banking details, and other sensitive information from infected devices. It also gains access to the user’s list of contacts and uses SMS messages to spread to other devices.

FluBot’s success has encouraged imitators. Although Medusa was not created by the same group that authored FluBot, Medusa’s authors are following in FluBot’s footsteps.

In the case of Medusa it began life as a keylogger. It has been upgraded and can now take screenshots and collect data about how the device is used.  Medusa’s authors have even gone so far as to deliver their malicious payload by using poisoned apps bearing the exact same names that FluBot’s controllers use.

The researchers at ThreatFabric had this to say about the matter:

“Despite the fact that Medusa is not extremely widespread at the moment, we do see an increase in volume of campaigns and a sufficiently greater number of different campaigns.

Powered with multiple remote access features, Medusa poses a critical threat to financial organisations in targeted regions.”

The single best thing users can do to minimize the risk of infection by either of these forms of malware is to install apps from the Google Play store or other authorized and trusted vendors only.  Never install an app via a direct link or from some other website that offers it.  It just isn’t worth the risk.

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

iPhone Sales Edging Out Android In The US

It’s no secret that supply chain issues have impacted a variety of different industries.  Apple has been somewhat less impacted than others.

Leveraging this and their massive infrastructure and marketing budget, they have flexed their corporate muscles and gained market share.

According to statistics gathered by data analytics firm Kantar, Apple accounted for slightly more than half of all smartphone sales in the US in 2021. They claimed 51 percent of the total sales for the year which is  a 2.7 percent increase from 2020.

Apple lost ground in Australia, Japan, and Great Britain. Sales surged in Germany (up 5.6 percent to 30.9 percent of the market. Sales were also up 2.2 percent in France to 26.7 percent of the French market, up 1.3 percent in Italy to 19 percent of the market and up an impressive 9.1 percent in China, to 25.7 percent of the market.

The increase in the Chinese market alone more than made up for the losses we mentioned and the company is forecasting strong demand going forward for the iPhone 13.

Bear in mind that when looking at these figures, we’re comparing Apple’s iPhone sales to the entire Android ecosystem.  That’s how utterly dominant the company is in the smartphone market, and that’s amazing.

It gets even better for Apple because their next generation iPhone SE is generating a tremendous amount of industry buzz and excitement. It will likely allow Apple to widen their lead on the Android ecosystem.

If you’re a fan of Apple and their products, this is great news indeed.  It’s hard to believe that the company was at one time verging on bankruptcy.

Even if you’re not a fan of Apple, you must admire the company.  Their customers are more than just customers. They are diehard fans of not only the company itself, but of every product the firm makes.  Anyone in any industry would kill to have customers half as loyal as Apple’s.

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

New Android Malware Steals Data And Factory Resets Phones

BRATA malware was first spotted in the wilds by Kaspersky back in 2019.

Its earliest incarnation saw it targeting e-banking users and it was designed to steal banking and login credentials of anyone infected.  That’s undeniably bad but according to researchers the latest version of BRATA has gotten downright nasty.

Security professionals have discovered a dangerous new variant in the wild that adds a raft of new features. One of the features includes allowing BRATA to steal a wide range of user data before resetting the infected device back to factory defaults when it’s done. That means it is essentially wiping away most of a user’s data.

Most users aren’t very good at backing up their data regularly and don’t always save their most cherished photos and videos to the cloud. So that could add a devastating personal loss on top of a hefty financial one.

The even worse news is that the hackers behind BRATA seem to be branching out.

In December of last year (2021) researchers started seeing BRATA pop up in Europe.  Based on recently analyzed code samples, the group behind BRATA is beginning to experiment with variants custom tailored to the country or region it is released in.  So far, researchers have found distinct variants targeting e-banking users in the UK, Poland, Italy, Spain, China, and Latin America.

The bottom line is that BRATA is a serious threat and the group behind the code is clearly setting their sights far beyond Brazil.  This one is one to watch in 2022. If it’s not already on your employees’ radar it certainly needs to be. So make them aware of the potential threat as soon as possible.

The standard protection protocols apply here.  Do your due diligence before installing any new app on your phone. Be sure you’re getting whatever apps you install from the Google Play Store direct.  That’s not bullet-proof protection but it’s a solid beginning.

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Suspicious Files Get New Warnings In Google Drive

If you have Google Drive, there’s good news.  The company has recently announced that soon they’ll be rolling out a new feature to help alert users to the presence of suspicious documents.

Google Drive users will soon start seeing banners alerting them to possible dangers This will serve as an additional layer of defense that will hopefully keep people from clicking on links embedded in malicious files, which may guide victims to poisoned sites.

The company first announced the new feature back in October during the Google Cloud Next 2021 user conference.

The company explained the functioning of the new feature as follows:

“If a user opens a potentially suspicious or dangerous file in Google Drive, we will display a warning banner to help protect them and their organization from malware, phishing, and ransomware. 

Google will automatically evaluate any files that are shared with you from outside of your organization for phishing or malware. If detected, Google will block your access to the file in order to protect you.”

As to the message, Google kept it simple. 

If you open a suspect file, you’ll see a bold yellow banner across the top of your screen with a message reading:

“This file looks suspicious. It might be used to steal your personal information.”

This is the latest in a series of moves the company plans to make to help protect its user base and prevent Google Drive abuse.  Last year the company added phishing and malware protections in their Enterprise environments that automatically tagged all suspicious files and only left them visible to their owners and Admins.

It’s a small change but it could have significant impacts.  That means fewer users getting taken in by malicious documents and that’s a very good thing.  Kudos to Google for continuing to add user protections.

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