The Nigerian Communications Commission -NCC, has raised alarm calling on Nigerians to be cautious while using Google Play Store app as a recent malware, Hidden Ads, has been confirmed to infiltrate the platform.
This warning was announced by the NCC’s Computer Security Incident Response Team, the NCC-CSIRT at its August 8 advisory. The press release confirmed that the malware was capable of impacting device performance and in the process, jeopardizing users’ privacy.
Cautioning smartphone users to be careful with downloads from the Google Play Store, the team observed that the malware takes the form of device cleaners and optimization apps.
The disclaimer statement reads below in part:
“Upon installation, it can run dangerous services without the user opening the app. It also spams the user with irrelevant advertisements. The apps have received downloads varying from 100,000 thousand to more than a million.”
