Hackers attack more than 19 million Russians with Android smartphones

In the first quarter of 2024, the number of attacks on Android smartphone users in Russia increased 5.2 times compared to the same period last year. According to cybersecurity expert Dmitry Kalinin, more than 19 million Russian users became victims of hackers during the specified period.

Among the most dangerous threats were the Dwphon and Mamont viruses. Dwphon is capable of collecting personal data of the device owner, information about applications, and even downloading malicious software without the user's consent.

Mamont is aimed at extorting payment data and access to SMS on an infected device.

Some of the malware, including Dwphon, may come pre-installed on devices right out of the box. As Kalinin noted, this poses a serious threat to users, since attackers can compromise the device supply chain by introducing malware in the early stages of production without the knowledge of the manufacturer or other participants in this process.