Gardaí urge caution regarding online banking on mobile devices

People in Ireland use their smart phones for internet activity more than any other western country.

The Garda Cyber Crime Bureau is alerting mobile users to the fact that passwords for online bank accounts may be at risk if a mobile device is subjected to a malware attack. The bureau warned that sensitive business information or transactions can be compromised by a targeted attack on unsecured devices and is advising mobile device users to follow the simple steps below to avoid becoming a victim of mobile malware attack:

• Only install apps from a trusted source, if your bank or financial institution has an official app – Use It
• Ensure your mobile device software is up to date and remember ‘Jailbreaking’ or ‘Rooting’ a device seriously compromises its security
• Make sure you have a recent Back Up of your device, as an attack may render it useless, resulting in the loss of all your contacts, personal photos and files

As part of European Cyber Security Month, a Pan-European Mobile Malware Awareness Campaign will run from October 24-28 to raise awareness of the main mobile malware threats and how people and businesses can protect themselves. 70% of Irish people use smart phones, equalling approximately 2.3million devices, and on top of that, 1.7 million Irish people have access to a tablet device. Irish people use smart phones for internet activity more than any other western country; the proportion of web traffic on phones in Ireland, is almost 1/3 higher than the European average and ¼ higher than in the UK. Vast amounts of our personal data are now being stored on mobile devices including financial information, personal photographs and even our location history, all of which is of major interest to cybercriminals. For more information, check out the Europol website.