[July 25, 2016]

Protecting Yourself from Pokémon Go Hacks

Pokéfan Warning: while the viral success of Pokémon Go has made quite a few headlines during the past few weeks, the story behind the news for some is that hackers are now targeting the popular app. As a result, some of us who play may be exposed, and need to take important measures to protect our data and devices from malware and hacks.

"Augmented reality apps like Pokémon Go are rooted in the real world with a host of very real dangers," said Gabriel Torok, CEO of PreEmptive Solutions, a company that produces protection software for corporations. "Some players are being duped into using counterfeit or tampered Pokémon Go apps, so while we're all having fun playing the game, we have to take steps to protect our devices' personal information from hackers and malware threats."

Torok says that counterfeit apps now pose as great a threat to public and personal safety as counterfeit medications or replacement parts. A mobile app with malware can capture photos, credentials, and even your identity (way more toxic than a knock-off watch). Something as wildly popular as Pokémon Go makes a lucrative target for the new generation of criminals.

"This is not a hypothetical," Torok explained. "Researchers at proofpoint have already found hacked versions of Pokémon Go on Android (News - Alert) - and there's no reason to believe that there's not an all-out race within the criminal hacker community to exploit the tremendous popularity of this (and other) wildly popular apps."

Torok provided three specific steps users of Pokémon Go and other mobile apps can take to avoid installing a counterfeit app from a hacker.

• First, don't download and install a version of a mobile app from a file-sharing site. This usually involves a technique called side loading where a counterfeit application is placed directly on the phone, allowing easy access to your phone and data. When a popular app like Pokémon Go hasn't been officially released in your region, the temptation may be great to get access by whatever means possible, but it's simply not worth it.
• Second, don't install the application from a secondary app marketplace outside of the official Google (News - Alert) Play or App Stores. For iOS devices, there is no secondary app marketplace - unless you have a jailbroken device. For Android, there are secondary marketplaces, but the user accepts all responsibilities and risks from installing applications from them. Again, it's just not worth it.
• Third, even when using an official app store, always review the developer before downloading and installing apps. Check how many times the app has been downloaded; a popular app like Pokémon Go should have been downloaded thousands of times. Look for spelling errors or suspicious logos. Make sure to read app reviews, as there might be information from users who have previously been tricked.

About PreEmptive Solutions

PreEmptive provides the world's smartest application protection solutions to over 5,000 corporate clients spanning virtually every industry in over 100 countries. PreEmptive Protection is a clear choice for any organization serious about hardening and protecting their desktop, mobile, server and embedded applications to secure their trade secrets (IP), reduce piracy/counterfeiting and prevent tampering of their applications and hindering data breaches.

Learn more at www.preemptive.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160725005945/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]