Duh! iPhone users… Beware!
iphone, the versatile tool of the modern world which acts as a pocket computer and smart phone, running on UNIX with internet, camera phone, texting, voicemail and multimedia, is also prone to attacks. Just as every other computer device working on the internet is prone to virus attacks, the iPhone is prone to be affected by worms. The iPhone worm is a collection of software that run hidden, automatically and breach security or steals the user data and misuses them.
The latest on the iPhone worm list is the Duh! Its purpose is as nasty as it name…
Duh steals data like the users’ bank information, user id, password, etc. It consists of shell scripts that steal bank information from the users. It scans IP addresses to connect with the default SSH or secure shell password that is used to connect remotely over the internet. Once it has located its prey, it installs its collection of software onto the iPhone.
The software changes the users’ SSH password to its own and sends the users’ data to the hackers’ servers. It also steals the authentication codes that are used by banks in order to protect their customers’ while performing any financial transaction by means of their iPhone. Duh even steals the mobile transaction authentication number, an additional authentication layer provided by many of the banks.
The main reason for the iPhone to be susceptible to the worm is purely the carelessness of the iPhone users themselves. The users miss to change the default passwords as suggested by the manufacturer on jailbreaking their iPhones. Well, if you are wondering what jailbreaking is, it is a process by which the user bypasses Apple’s official distribution mechanism and allows them to download and install applications not provided by the manufacturer easily.
So, is there a way to know if your phone has been infected with Duh? Yes, it depletes the battery quickly.
To clean up an infected iphone, identify the worm and remove it completely or restore the manufacturer’s firmware.
Beware, iPhone users! The best way to safe guard your iphone is by not removing the manufacturer’s protection under any circumstance. If there is a necessity to download any file that is not provided by the manufacturer, ensure that you change the default SSH password.
Protect Your Children Over The Internet
Your children’s nature is very valuable property to you and hence you always want to protect it from impurities. So talk to your children about things on the Internet such as pornography, violence and hate sites that are a concern to you. Make them understand that they should tell you immediately about these things if they encounter anytime.
Make your children aware of the demerits of giving away personal information over the internet, or to agree to meet unknown people, or give out their personal photographs to anyone online.
Many Internet Service providers have some parental controls through which parents can easily control the reach of their connection. Block access to certain Web pages, chat rooms, groups and other Internet communities which are unfit for children.
Today several software are also available for low costs through which you can easily block access to certain objectionable sites and prevent children from disclosing personal information on the Internet. You can even have some categories of sites blocked which you need not to detect manually.
Be aware of your children when they start spending much time online. Also try to monitor them manually time to time and make sure that they are actually using the Internet securely.
