Facebook warns against data breach: Here’s how to avoid it

The social media platform announced on Friday that this year it has identified more than 400 malicious Android and iOS apps targeting netizens to steal their credentials. Meta has notified both Apple and Google of the issue to prevent users’ data from being further compromised. These malicious apps work by disguising themselves as photo editors, mobile games, or health trackers, according to Facebook.

According to Apple, 45 of the 400 problematic apps were in its App Store and have been removed. According to a report, Google has removed all the malicious apps in question.

David Agranovich, Director of Global Threat Disruption at Meta, said: “Cyber ​​criminals know how popular these types of apps are and use these themes to trick people and steal their accounts and information. If the credentials are stolen, attackers could potentially gain full access to a person’s account and do things like send messages to their friends or access private information.”

Also, he explained how users can secure their accounts in case they have already downloaded such apps. Agranovich said: “They think you downloaded a malicious app and logged in with your social media or other online credentials. We recommend that you delete the app from your device immediately and follow the instructions below to secure your accounts.”

Malicious developers create malware apps disguised as apps with fun or useful features — like cartoon image editors or music players — and release them to mobile app stores.

Here are the instructions to protect your accounts:

Reset and create new strong passwords. Never use your password on multiple websites.

Enable two-factor authentication, preferably with an authenticator app, to add an extra layer of security to your account.

Turn on login notifications to be notified when someone tries to access your account. Be sure to review your previous sessions to ensure you recognize which devices have access to your account.

It is also recommended that malicious applications compromising meta accounts be reported to us through our Data Breach Bounty Program.