Security firm Kaspersky released its mobile threat report for Q2 2021 (Q2 2021) in Southeast Asia. Surprisingly, Indonesia is in the top position in Southeast Asia in the number of mobile banking trojan attacks.
Mobile banking Trojans are used by cybercriminals to steal funds directly from mobile bank accounts (mobile banking). These malicious programs usually look like legitimate financial applications, but when victims enter credentials to gain access to their bank accounts, attackers then gain access to that personal information.
Kaspersky monitored a 60% increase in the number of malicious mobile banking trojan attacks detected and blocked in the ASEAN region. Overall, since early 2021, Kaspersky products have failed as many as 708 incidents in six countries in Southeast Asia. This is 50% of the total number of mobile banking trojans blocked in 2020 as many as 1,408.
Indonesia and Vietnam recorded the highest number of incidents during the first half of this year. However, globally, the two countries are not included in the top 10 countries affected by this threat.
Vietnam is ranked 27th while Indonesia is ranked 31st in June this year. The five countries with the highest number of mobile banking Trojan detections in Q2 2021 are Russia, Japan, Turkey, Germany and France.
While the number of mobile banking Trojan attacks in Southeast Asia is still low, from April to June this year, Kaspersky detected more than the same period last year, which was 367 versus 230. This shows the ongoing pandemic continues to force users to start using mobile payment systems, and cashless is becoming more common.
"We are almost in the second year of the pandemic which is rapidly changing the adoption of mobile payments especially in the Southeast Asia region which is now more than ever before. Since the beginning of this health crisis, our survey shows that the majority of internet users in this region have shifted their financial activities substantially. online, such as shopping (64%) and banking (47%).," Yeo Siang Tiong, Kaspersky General Manager for Southeast Asia.
Safe Tips from Trojan Mobile Banking
Kaspersky shares tips to increase your financial security online. So that it can avoid the threat of mobile banking trojans.
1. Have a temporary credit card
Cybercriminals have developed techniques and malware so sophisticated that they can sometimes thwart your best efforts to shop safely online. To implement another measure, you can use a temporary credit card to make online purchases, instead of the main credit card.
Ask your credit card company if it's possible to get a temporary credit card number. However, if possible avoid using this type of credit card for any purchases that require automatic renewal or regular payments.
If a credit card is temporarily not possible, the alternative is to use a credit card with a low credit limit.
2. Dedicate computers for online banking and shopping
If you have more than one computer, maybe it can be used for banking and online shopping. By avoiding using your computer for other Internet browsing, downloading files, checking email, social networking, and other online activities, you effectively keep your computer clean and free of computer viruses and other infections.
For added security in safe online shopping, install Google Chrome, with HTTPS. This ensures you to only visit safe websites.
3. Use a custom email address
Create an email address that you will only use for online shopping transactions. This will greatly limit the number of spam messages you receive and significantly reduce your risk of exposure to malicious emails disguised as sales pitches or other notifications.
4. Manage and protect passwords online
Using a strong and different password for each online account is one of the most important things you can do for safe online shopping. It can be difficult to remember so many different passwords, especially if they consist of many letters, numbers, and special characters.
But you can use a password manager to help keep strong passwords for multiple accounts.
5. Use a VPN
If you absolutely must shop online while on public Wi-Fi, first install a VPN (virtual private network) solution. A VPN will encrypt all data transferred between your computer or mobile device and the VPN server can prevent hackers from hijacking and viewing any sensitive data you enter.
